A 44-year-old man with type 2 diabetes was recently hospitalized for an acute exacerbation of pancreatitis. This was his seventh admission for the condition within the past several years. Although imaging studies revealed no calcifications, the hospitalist suspected that acute relapsing pancreatitis was evolving into chronic pancreatitis.
The patient now comes to your office for evaluation.
HISTORY
The pancreatitis is alcohol(Drug information on alcohol)-related; the patient has a decades-long history
of alcohol abuse. He consumes about 8 oz daily and drinks more during
binges (one of which occurred just before his most recent hospitalization).
He has had diabetes for at least 3 years and takes glyburide, 10 mg bid. His glucose control has been problematic at best; he has performed home monitoring sporadically and reports that glucose levels have ranged between 200 and 300 mg/dL. The patient says that the glyburide seemed to work better when he first began therapy. He was given insulin in the hospital; however, glyburide was prescribed at discharge.
LABORATORY STUDIES
Studies performed before his visit disclosed the following values: bilirubin,
1.2 mg/dL; creatinine, 1 mg/dL; fasting blood glucose, 212 mg/dL;
and glycosylated hemoglobin A (HbA1c), 9.9%. Elevated transaminase levels
(alanine aminotransferase, 300 U/L) prompted a test for hepatitis C virus (HCV)
infection, which was positive.
PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
The patient appears older than he is, and his weight is slightly less than
normal for his age and height. However, vital signs are normal, there is no
jaundice or spider angiomata, bowel sounds are good, and his abdomen is nontender
and without hepatosplenomegaly.
In addition to dietary measures and alcohol abstinence, which of the
following strategies constitutes optimal diabetes management?
A. Discontinue glyburide and use metformin(Drug information on metformin) as a single agent.
B. Continue glyburide and add metformin.
C. Initiate insulin therapy.
D. Continue glyburide and add troglitazone.
E. Initiate acarbose(Drug information on acarbose) as a single agent.
