A real-world study in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with gliclazide modified-release during fasting: DIA-RAMADAN.

AIMS: To explore the real-world safety and effectiveness of gliclazide modified release (MR) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) fasting during Ramadan. METHODS: DIA-RAMADAN (NCT04132934) was a prospective, international, observational study conducted in nine countries. Patients >18 years of age with T2DM (N=1,244) were examined at an inclusion visit (V0) occurring 6-8 weeks before the start of Ramadan. Patients received a diary to report treatment changes, hypoglycaemic events (HEs), and other adverse events. Gliclazide MR was taken once daily for 14-18 weeks. A second visit (V1) was conducted 4-6 weeks after the end of Ramadan. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients reporting >/=1 symptomatic HE. Changes in HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and body weight were secondary endpoints. RESULTS: The proportion of patients reporting >/=1 symptomatic HE during Ramadan was low (2.2%) with no reported severe HEs. There was a significant reduction in HbA1c (-0.3%), FPG (-9.7mg/dL), body weight (-0.5 kg) and body mass index (-0.2 kg/m(2)) between V0 and V1 (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with T2DM treated with gliclazide MR during Ramadan have a low risk of hypoglycaemia and maintain glycaemic control and weight while fasting.