Nateglinide reduces carotid intima-media thickening in type 2 diabetic patients under good glycemic control.

OBJECTIVE Postprandial hyperglycemia observed in type 2 diabetes mellitus is a risk factor for atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of strict glycemic control by nateglinide on common carotid far wall intima-media thickness in type 2 diabetic patients who were already under good glycemic control. METHODS AND RESULTS We performed an open labeled randomized prospective trial on 78 drug-naive type 2 diabetic patients whose HbA1c was less than 6.5%. Thirty-eight patients were randomly assigned to receive nateglinide (270 mg/dL) and 40 to control group (no treatment). After 12 months, a significant reduction in HbA1c was observed in the nateglinide group, whereas a significant increase of HbA1c was observed in the untreated group. The carotid intima-media thickness at the end of 1-year follow-up was significantly reduced in the nateglinide group compared with the untreated group (-0.017+/-0.054 mm/year versus 0.024+/-0.066 mm/year, P=0.0064). Whereas nateglinide treatment also reduced triglyceride, highly-sensitive C-reactive protein, and E-selectin, multiple regression analysis identified HbA1c as the only significant independent determinant of the change in carotid intima-media thickness. CONCLUSION In type 2 diabetic patients with good glycemic control, further strict glycemic control by nateglinide results in regression of carotid intima-media thickness.