PuloHealth #1: Is Bromocriptine Promising Therapy for Diabetes Patients?

Today diabetes has become a frightening disease. The number of diabetics getting rise rapidly worldwide. Various types of treatments have been discovered, ranging from oral antidiabetic to insulin. As long as I am working as internal medicine specialist, I has been treating many diabetic patients. Most of them had already various complications and remain uncontrolled, thus the treatment is very challenging.

It is already known that the best treatment for diabetic patients is insulin. But many patients refuse insulin for a variety of reasons. So experts are trying to discover new oral antidiabetic which is convenient for the patients.

Today I will discuss about one of the FDA-approved drugs for use in diabetics, bromocriptine.

“Bromocriptine is sympatholytic D2-dopamine agonist that has mechanism of action by lowering plasma glucose, triglyceride, free fatty acids levels and also reduces the risk of cardiovascular. The use of bromocriptine in diabetic patients is known as by targeting centrally mediated pathways of glucose metabolism.” The recommended dose for diabetes mellitus is 1.6 mg - 4.8 mg given once daily 2 hours after waking up.

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The Studies of Bromocriptine for Diabetes Treatment

There some studies about the use of bromocriptine in diabetics. The first clinical study regarding the metabolic effect of bromocriptine has been conducted in 1992. This observational trial was performed by Meier et al in 33 non-obese diabetics and 15 diabetic patients. Bromocriptine was administered 2.5 mg per day and followed weekly for 4 to 8 weeks. The results of this study showed that in the diabetes group, fasting glucose decreased from 283 mg/dl to 184 mg/dl. This result is quite good.

The second observational trial was conducted by Kamath et al in 13 women with nondiabetic obese with hyperinsulinemia, bromocriptine was given 4.8 mg per day for 8 weeks. The result of the study is obtained significant decrease in plasma glucose, triglycerides and free fatty acids levels. While the decrease in plasma insulin levels was not significant. And there also many more studies regarding bromocriptine use in diabetes therapy.

Based on a number of studies, finally the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of bromocriptine for treatment of diabetes. However, this drug is also used for the treatment of pituitary adenoma, Parkinson, and restless legs syndrome. Psychiatrists also use this drug to treat anhedonia and depression.

This is a brief review on the use of bromocriptine in diabetic patients. However, further studies are needed to discover the most appropriate drug for diabetic patients.

References
Bromocriptine: A Sympatholitic, D2-Dopamine Agonist for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

Timed bromocriptine administration reduces body fat stores in obese subjects and hyperglycemia in type II diabetics

Bromocriptine mesylate: Food and Drug Administrationj approved new approach in therapy of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus with poor glycemic control

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