Effects of liraglutide combined with metformin on islet beta cell function and visceral fat level in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with obesity

Objective To analyze the effects of liraglutide combined with metformin on islet beta cell function and visceral fat level in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with obesity. Methods 194 patients with T2DM and obesity admitted to our hospital from March 2015 to March 2018 were randomly divided into a study group and a control group (97 cases in each group) . All patients were treated with metformin for 16 weeks. The study group was treated with liraglutide subcutaneously. The changes of blood sugar, pancreatic beta cell function index (HOMA-β) and visceral fat level (VFL) before and after treatment were compared between the two groups, and the clinical value of liraglutide in the treatment of T2DM with obesity was summarized. Chi-square test was used for counting data and t-test was used for measuring data. Results The incidence of adverse reactions was 29.90﹪ in the study group and 23.71﹪ in the control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups (χ2= 0.946, P > 0.05) . After treatment, FPG, 2 hPG and BMI of the two groups were all lower than those before treatment, and FPG, 2hPG and BMI in the study group were (7.12±1.35) mmol/L, (9.03±2.66) mmol/L, (26.32±1.60) kg/m2, respectively, which were lower than those in the control group (7.83±1.19) mmol/L, (10.57±2.39) mmol/ L, (27.74±1.66) kg/m2, (t = 3.886, 4.241, 6.066, P all < 0.05) . After treatment, HOMA-beta was increased and HOMA-IR was decreased in both groups. After treatment, HOMA-beta in the study group (155.69±24.55) was, higher than that in the control group (117.49±21.98) , and its HOMA-IR (2.30±0.71) was lower than that in the latter group (3.20±0.64) . The difference was statistically significant (t = 11.407, 9.273, P all < 0.05) . The VFL and fat rate of the two groups after treatment were lower than those before treatment. The VFL and fat rate of the study group after treatment were lower than those of the control group, and the muscle content after treatment was lower than that before treatment (P < 0.05) . Conclusion Combination of liraglutide with metformin can improve insulin resistance in patients with T2DM and obesity by improving the function of islet beta cells and reducing visceral fat, which is a safe and effective treatment. Key words: Liraglutide; Metformin; Type 2 diabetes mellitus; Obesity; Islet beta cells; Visceral fat