Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42898168›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in endocrinology2026

Effects of intensive insulin therapy combined with non-insulin antihyperglycemic agents on glycemic control, variability, and metabolic outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Zixuan Shen, Jiawei Li, Ziyun Zhao, Ziang Chen, Xiaosen Ma, Jing Zhou, Lijing Jiao, Jing Wang

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in endocrinology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Zixuan Shen *The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
Jiawei Li *The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
Ziyun ZhaoThe Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
Ziang ChenThe Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
Xiaosen MaThe Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
Jing ZhouDepartment of Endocrinology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
Lijing JiaoDepartment of Endocrinology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.
Jing WangDepartment of Endocrinology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Intensive insulin therapy (IIT) induces clinical remission in newly diagnosed or poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but is limited by hypoglycemia risk and weight gain. Combining IIT with non-insulin antihyperglycemic agents may mitigate these drawbacks while improving glycemic variability. Methods: This review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024582974). We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Chinese databases (CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, and Chinese Medical Association journals) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing intensive insulin therapy (IIT) alone with IIT plus metformin, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i), sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The primary outcomes were glycemic variability indices, including mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE), standard deviation of blood glucose (SDBG), and largest amplitude of glycemic excursions (LAGE). Secondary outcomes included fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2-h postprandial glucose (PPG-2h), mean blood glucose (MBG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and insulin requirements, including total daily insulin dose (TDD), basal insulin dose, and bolus insulin dose. Time in range (TIR), body weight, hypoglycemia, and gastrointestinal adverse events (GI-AEs) were analyzed as Results: Thirty-nine RCTs were included. For the primary glycemic-variability outcomes, GRADE assessments indicated that IIT plus DPP-4i likely reduced MAGE (MD -1.39 mmol/L, 95% CI -1.77 to -1.01) and LAGE (MD -1.20 mmol/L, 95% CI -1.66 to -0.75), while IIT plus SGLT2i likely reduced SDBG (MD -0.28 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.44 to -0.11). Evidence was very uncertain for the effects of IIT plus GLP-1RA on MAGE and IIT plus DPP-4i on SDBG. Among secondary outcomes, IIT plus DPP-4i likely reduced FPG (MD -0.44 mmol/L, 95% CI -0.67 to -0.21), while IIT plus GLP-1RA likely reduced HbA1c (MD -0.73%, 95% CI -1.01 to -0.45). IIT plus GLP-1RA, metformin, or SGLT2i may reduce FPG; IIT plus DPP-4i, GLP-1RA, or metformin may reduce PPG-2h; and IIT plus SGLT2i may reduce HbA1c. IIT plus DPP-4i and IIT plus GLP-1RA may also modestly reduce total daily insulin dose. Evidence for the effect of IIT plus SGLT2i on PPG-2h was very uncertain. Among Conclusions: Adjunctive non-insulin antihyperglycemic agents may improve glycemic variability and overall glycemic control in adults with T2DM receiving intensive insulin therapy. The most consistent evidence supported reductions in MAGE and LAGE with DPP-4i and in SDBG with SGLT2i. Reductions in FPG and PPG-2h were observed across several drug classes, while HbA1c was reduced with GLP-1RA and SGLT2i. Systematic Review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42024582974.

Indexed as

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2Glycemic ControlHypoglycemic AgentsInsulinBlood GlucoseDrug Therapy, CombinationGlycated HemoglobinHumansMetforminRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicBlood GlucoseGlycated HemoglobinHypoglycemic AgentsInsulinMetforminglycemic variabilityintensive insulin therapymeta-analysistype 2 diabetesweight

Identifiers

PMID42898168
PMCPMC13677461

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.