Effects of linagliptin on inflammatory factors and arteriosclerosis in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of linagliptin on inflammatory factors and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with carotid atherosclerotic disease (CAD). A total of 326 patients with newly diagnosed T2DM complicated with CAD were randomly divided into two groups. There were 163 patients in the control group, who were treated with metformin monotherapy. There were 163 patients in the experimental group, who were treated with metformin in combination with linagliptin. The CIMT before and after treatment was measured by color Doppler ultrasound, and the contents of IL-6 and IL-1β before and after treatment were detected by ELISA. The levels of inflammatory factors and CIMT before and after treatment were compared between the two groups, and the correlation between IL-6, IL-1β and CIMT was studied. After 24 weeks of treatment, the levels of inflammatory factors and CIMT in the experimental group were significantly lower compared with the control group (P < 0.01), and the serum levels of IL-6 and IL-1β were positively correlated with CIMT. In the present study, we concluded that linagliptin could improve the levels of inflammatory factors and CIMT in newly diagnosed T2DM patients with CAD, and IL-6 and IL-1β might participate in the occurrence and development of CAD by influencing CIMT.