Diabetes pain drug may impair sugar control

NEW YORK, Jan 19 (Reuters) The drug duloxetine is useful in treating diabetes-related pain, but it may worsen control of blood sugar levels, according to a report in the journal Diabetes Care.

Duloxetine is one of only two drugs approved for the treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain (DPNP), a common problem in diabetic patients, the authors explain.

However, it was unclear whether the drug affects sugar control.

Dr Thomas Hardy from Eli Lily, Indianapolis, and colleagues pooled data from three clinical trials to investigate changes in weight, sugar levels, and cholesterol levels in patients with DPNP treated with duloxetine.

Short-term treatment with duloxetine was associated with a modest increase in fasting sugar levels, the authors report, but not with significant increases in hemoglobin A1c, a measure of long-term sugar control. With longer treatment, however, there was a significant rise in hemoglobin A1c, indicating impaired sugar control.

There were also small changes in cholesterol levels among duloxetine-treated patients, the researchers note, but a small increase in HDL ''good'' cholesterol was the only statistically significant change.

Weight declined with short-term duloxetine treatment, but increased slightly with long-term treatment.

''We hope these findings reported here will help (doctors) make informed decisions regarding the risks and benefits of duloxetine in patients seeking relief from painful diabetic neuropathy,'' the authors conclude.

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