Pioglitazone Controls Glycemia And Increases Body Mass Index

Pioglitazone controls glycemia and blood pressure, despite increasing body mass index and subcutaneous adipose tissue area in patients with type 2 diabetes. >Researchers from Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo and other Japanese centres, including the Chugai Diagnostics Science Company, enrolled 10 male type II diabetics, aged between 40 and 66 years. Seven were treated with diet alone, while three took a stable dose of sulfonylurea. All received pioglitazone 30 mg daily for three months.

After treatment, mean blood pressure fell by 8 mmHg compared to baseline. Fasting plasma glucose declined by 1.6 mmol/L, serum insulin fell by 24 pmol/L and HbA1c reduced by 0.6 percent by the end of pioglitazone treatment. At the same time, body mass index rose by 0.6 kg/m² and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol increased by 14 mg/dL. Moreover, subcutaneous adipose tissue area and serum adiponectin concentrations increased by 24 cm² and 9.6 µg/ml respectively.

Concentrations of neither triglycerides nor high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol changed significantly. Visceral adipose tissue area increased by 15 cm². The ratio of visceral adipose tissue area to subcutaneous adipose tissue area declined by 0.1. However, neither of the latter two differences was statistically significant.

The authors concluded that pioglitazone controls glycemia and blood pressure, despite increasing body mass index and subcutaneous adipose tissue area in Japanese men with type 2 diabetes. The authors added that as pioglitazone increases serum adiponectin level, it might counter atherosclerosis. Metabolism 2002;51:314-7