Practice Patterns of Usage of Glimepiride and Metformin FDC Along with Other OADs: A New Age Approach to Diabetes Management in Indians

Diabetes is a progressive disease managed by different oral antidiabetic drugs(OADs) with or without glimepiride/metformin. As diabetes continues to be a significant healthconcern in India, novel therapeutic strategies are essential to effectively control the disease andimprove patient outcomes. New drugs like sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i)and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) have intermediate efficacy. Understanding clinicians’ prescription patterns is crucial for optimizing treatment strategies for better long-term type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) control. Methods: This was a retrospective, multicenter, observational case-based questionnaire study on T2DM patients undergoing pharmacotherapy. Itaimed to collect data on clinical utilization patterns of glimepiride and metformin FDC (fixed-dosecombination) with other OADs and comorbidities. The study included responses from 500 healthcare professionals (HCPs) across India. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS® Version 23.0software. Independent t-test was used to compare the change in fasting plasma glucose (FPG),postprandial plasma glucose (PPG), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) between two groups andFisher’s exact and Chi-square tests were used to compare categorical variables. P-value <0.05 wasconsidered statistically significant. Results: The study analysis included responses from 500 HCPs.It showed that 6,250 patients received glimepiride/metformin FDC. The HbA1c was found to be8.81% before treatment, which decreased to 7.75% after treatment. Among the 6,250 patients, 1,704patients also recieved other OADs, where some patients recieved more thn one OADs. DPP4i wasprescribed the most (1,064 patients followed by sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i)(573 patients), pioglitazone (229 patients), alpha-glucosidase inhibitor (AGI) (207 patients), insulin(178 patients), and lastly glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist (GLP1RA) being prescribed in35 patients along with the combination. Hypoglycemia was observed in very few patients (4.49%).Hypertension was the most prevalent (60.5%) comorbidity in the studied patient population.Conclusion: Use of glimepiride and metformin FDC along with other OADs offer optimizedglycemic control, promote weight loss, and help to reduce complications in patients with T2DM.