Objective: To review available data on the efficacy and safety of bromocriptine-QR (BQR) and to consider its role in the management of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
Methods: Published literature reporting the efficacy and safety of BQR in the treatment of T2DM was reviewed, including peer-reviewed abstracts and poster presentations.
Results: BQR is an oral hypoglycemic agent with a novel mechanism of action that appears to involve enhancement of morning central nervous system (CNS) dopaminergic activity, resulting in improved insulin sensitivity and reduced hepatic glucose output. Adjunctive treatment with BQR in the dosing range of 1.6 to 4.8 mg/d may result in a mean (95% confidence interval [CI]) reduction in glycated hemoglobin (A1c) levels of 0.69% (0.97%, 0.41%). Treatment with BQR appears to be associated with minimal intrinsic risk of hypoglycemia, and does not appear to be associated with clinically significant adverse effects on weight, triglycerides, free fatty acids, or blood pressure.
Conclusion: The favorable cardiovascular risk profile of BQR suggests that it may be useful in the treatment of patients with T2DM with a history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or who have significant risk factors for CVD. However, knowledge of the efficacy and safety of BQR is limited by the relatively small clinical trials database. As a result, there is currently insufficient information on the safety and efficacy of adjunctive BQR in T2DM patients being treated with several common diabetes regimens (e.g., thiazolidinediones, insulin).