Abstract
BACKGROUND: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) initiating treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) may encounter various risks and complications. METHODS: This study randomly assigned 315 patients starting GLP-1RA therapy into a control group (CG, standard treatment + routine care), a placebo group (PG, placebo + routine care), and a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) group (TG, TCM plaster therapy + routine care). The glycemic control, pancreatic function, hematological parameters, renal function, and adverse reactions (ARs) were compared among the groups. RESULTS: The TG exhibited no significant differences in fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial blood glucose at two hours, glycated hemoglobin (Hb), fasting insulin (FINS) levels, b-cell insulin secretion, and insulin resistance (IR) when compared to the CG and the PG (P>0.05). Additionally, there were no significant changes in Hb, white blood cell (WBC) count, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in the TG relative to the CG and PG (P>0.05). Renal function indicators revealed that the levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Cr) in the TG did not differ significantly from those in the CG and the PG (P>0.05). The incidence of ARs in TG (8.57%) was markedly lower than in PG (17.14%) and CG (18.1%) (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The application of TCM Liangfu Pills via acupoint plaster did not demonstrate significant therapeutic effects on glycemic control, pancreatic function, or routine blood parameters. However, it was effective in significantly reducing the risk of gastrointestinal adverse reactions associated with GLP-1RA therapy.