• Nicole R Pinelli, Mathew C Jones, Lea M Monday, Zachary Smith, and Denise H Rhoney.
• Department of Pharmacy Practice, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA. nickipinelli@wayne.edu
• Ann Pharmacother. 2012 Jan 1;46(1):124-9.

ObjectiveTo review literature evaluating the safety and efficacy of exogenous glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) for hyperglycemia in critically ill patients.Data SourcesPubMed was queried (inception to September 3, 2011), using the search term glucagon-like peptide-1. The search was limited to studies published in English and conducted in humans. Regular and late-breaking abstracts from the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions in 2009 and 2010 were also searched using the same search term.Study Selection And Data ExtractionAll abstracts were screened for eligibility, which consisted of studies reporting the effects of intravenous GLP-1 administration on glycemic control in critically ill patients. Data extracted from eligible trials included study and population characteristics, measures of glycemic efficacy, and safety.Data SynthesisOur search resulted in the identification of 2105 potentially relevant articles; of those, 7 were reviewed. All included publications evaluated the use of intravenous GLP-1 (1.2-3.6 pmol/kg/min) compared with insulin or placebo infused for 4.5-72 hours in critically ill patients. The majority (n = 4) of studies included only patients from a surgical intensive care setting, and 71% (n = 5) of trials included those with a history of diabetes. Relative to insulin or placebo, GLP-1 therapy effectively lowered blood glucose concentrations in all trials. Out of 81 total study participants receiving GLP-1, only 4 had documented hypoglycemia (<60 mg/dL), 4 reported nausea, and 2 experienced vomiting. No other serious adverse events were reported.ConclusionsAll trials reviewed suggest that GLP-1 may be a promising agent for the management of hyperglycemia in critically ill patients, regardless of diabetes status. Additional studies in more heterogeneous intensive care settings comparing GLP-1 with insulin, the current standard of care, are necessary. These studies should evaluate long-term safety and effectiveness of GLP-1 therapy on morbidity and mortality outcomes in critically ill populations.

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