Safety of type 2 diabetes treatment with repaglinide compared with glibenclamide in elderly people: a randomized, open-label, two-period, cross-over trial

The incidence of type 2 diabetes increases with age (1), and elderly people with this disease may be particularly susceptible to hypoglycemia due to long-acting oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs). The American Geriatric Society clinical guidelines on type 2 diabetes treatment in elderly people report that short-acting hypoglycemic agents are preferable to longer-acting agents (chlorpropramide), which are associated with increased risk of hypoglycemia (2). Repaglinide is an insulin secretagogue with a rapid onset and relatively short duration of action (3,4). Several studies have shown repaglinide to be a safe and effective treatment for type 2 diabetes (5–9). However, few data are available on its use in elderly patients and, in particular, on the incidence of hypoglycemic events. The present study assessed the safety of repaglinide versus glibenclamide in this population, in terms of hypoglycemia and adverse events.