Correlation of Serum IGF-1R, VEGF, and ET Levels with Bone Mineral Density in Type 2 Diabetic Mellitus Patients Treated with Metformin Plus α-Glucosidase Inhibitors

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a common chronic disease. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between serum insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), endothelin (ET) levels, and bone mineral density (BMD) in type 2 diabetic mellitus (T2DM) patients treated with metformin plus α-glucosidase inhibitors and evaluate the predictive value of serum factors in the prognosis of osteoporosis in these patients. It was a prospective study that enrolled 142 patients with T2DM treated in Dinghu District People’s Hospital from March 2019 to May 2020. All enrollments were randomized (1 : 1) to receive either metformin (control group) or metformin plus α-glucosidase inhibitors (study group). After 12 weeks of treatment, metformin plus α-glucosidase inhibitors were associated with significantly lower levels of 2 hPG, FPG, HbA1c, and HOMA-IR versus metformin alone ( $P<0.05$ ). After treatment, the BMD was positively correlated with IGF-1R and negatively correlated with VEGF and ET. Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors plus metformin for primary T2DM can effectively manage blood glucose and reduce insulin resistance in patients, but the prediction of osteoporosis development remains to be further explored in large sample studies.