Metformin, Sulfonylureas, or Other Antidiabetes Drugs and the Risk of Lactic Acidosis or Hypoglycemia
Open Access
- 1 November 2008
- journal article
- Published by American Diabetes Association in Diabetes Care
- Vol. 31 (11), 2086-2091
- https://doi.org/10.2337/dc08-1171
Abstract
OBJECTIVE—Lactic acidosis has been associated with use of metformin. Hypoglycemia is a major concern using sulfonylureas. The aim of this study was to compare the risk of lactic acidosis and hypoglycemia among patients with type 2 diabetes using oral antidiabetes drugs.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—This study is a nested case-control analysis using the U.K.-based General Practice Research Database to identify patients with type 2 diabetes who used oral antidiabetes drugs. Within the study population, all incident cases of lactic acidosis and hypoglycemia were identified, and hypoglycemia case subjects were matched to up to four control patients based on age, sex, practice, and calendar time.RESULTS—Among the study population of 50,048 type 2 diabetic subjects, six cases of lactic acidosis during current use of oral antidiabetes drugs were identified, yielding a crude incidence rate of 3.3 cases per 100,000 person-years among metformin users and 4.8 cases per 100,000 person-years among users of sulfonylureas. Relevant comorbidities known as risk factors for lactic acidosis could be identified in all case subjects. A total of 2,025 case subjects with hypoglycemia and 7,278 matched control subjects were identified. Use of sulfonylureas was associated with a materially elevated risk of hypoglycemia. The adjusted odds ratio for current use of sulfonylureas was 2.79 (95% CI 2.23–3.50) compared with current metformin use.CONCLUSIONS—Lactic acidosis during current use of oral antidiabetes drugs was very rare and was associated with concurrent comorbidity. Hypoglycemic episodes were substantially more common among sulfonylurea users than among users of metformin.Keywords
This publication has 25 references indexed in Scilit:
- Metformin, heart failure, and lactic acidosis: is metformin absolutely contraindicated?BMJ, 2007
- Severe Hypoglycemia and Smoking in a Long-Term Type 1 Diabetic PopulationDiabetes Care, 2007
- Metformin‐associated lactic acidosis in patients with renal impairment solely due to drug accumulation?Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2006
- The General Practice Research DatabaseDrug Safety, 2004
- Risk of fatal and nonfatal lactic acidosis with metformin use in type 2 diabetes mellitusPublished by Wiley ,2003
- Lactic Acidosis in Metformin-Treated PatientsDrug Safety, 1999
- Intensive blood-glucose control with sulphonylureas or insulin compared with conventional treatment and risk of complications in patients with type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 33)The Lancet, 1998
- Effect of intensive blood-glucose control with metformin on complications in overweight patients with type 2 diabetes (UKPDS 34)The Lancet, 1998
- Lactic Acidosis in Patients with Diabetes Treated with MetforminNew England Journal of Medicine, 1998
- Validation of information recorded on general practitioner based computerised data resource in the United Kingdom.BMJ, 1991