Empagliflozin improves beta cell function independently of relief of glucotoxicity in patients with type 2 diabetes: results from a randomised cross-over study with insulin as comparator

What Was Tested

Researchers studied NPH Insulin (isophane) in this randomized controlled trial publication.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the SGLT2 inhibitor empagliflozin, compared with NPH insulin treatment, on beta cell function, and, secondarily, on insulin sensitivity.

The disposition index was calculated as bGS × insulin sensitivity to assess beta cell function.

Why It Was Studied

Additional funding was provided by the Grosserer L.F.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 17 individuals taking part.

PubMed indexes the participants as adults, middle-aged adults and older adults, both men and women.

Key inclusion criteria included age ≥18 years, BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2, and a diabetes duration of more than 3 months.

Treatments were preceded by a 3 week washout.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, open-label and crossover.

The individuals were allocated by chance, so the NPH Insulin (isophane) group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Nothing was hidden in this open-label NPH Insulin (isophane) study: the individuals and staff both knew the treatment.

Each person switched between NPH Insulin (isophane) and the comparison at some point, usually with a gap in between.

Beta cell glucose sensitivity (bGS) was calculated as the slope of the linear relationship between the pre-hepatic insulin secretion rate and the corresponding plasma glucose value, and insulin sensitivity was calculated as glucose clearance relative to insulin concentrations.

Endogenous glucose production, tissue glucose disposal and lipolysis were measured using stable isotopes.

Data for the present study were collected at the Department of Endocrinology, Hvidovre Hospital, Denmark.

What Was Measured

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Benzhydryl Compounds, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Glucosides, Insulin-Secreting Cells, Insulin, Blood Glucose and Insulin Resistance.

Author keywords: Beta cell function, Glucotoxicity, Hyperinsulinaemia, Sodium–glucose co-transporter 2 inhibition and Type 2 diabetes.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, open-label and crossover study of NPH Insulin (isophane) in 17 individuals.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

Results are reported in around 4 sentences of the abstract; we leave them to the paper itself rather than summarise them.

The publication is from 2026 (Diabetologia), a journal based in Germany.

More context: the NPH Insulin (isophane) compound page, all human trials.