Procedures
ADVERSE EVENTS, INSULIN SENSITIVITY
PEG-Loxe or metformin was added to the current treatment regimen of each patient: OAD therapy or lifestyle interventions. PEG-Loxe was injected subcutaneously once weekly. This treatment followed a fixed-dose-escalation regimen: an initial dose of 0.1 mg for 4 weeks, followed by 0.2 mg for 4 weeks, then a maintenance dose of 0.3 mg for 8 weeks. Similarly, a metformin maintenance dose of 1500 mg was administered in 500 mg weekly increments from 500 mg to 1500 mg.In cases where the baseline HbA1c level was Patient visits were at 4, 8, and 16 weeks, and they included physical examination and data collection. The following information was obtained: demographic data, medical history, vital signs, visceral fat area (VFA), and laboratory test results. Laboratory tests included those for HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), C-peptide, lipid profile, and liver function. Additionally, any adverse events (AEs) were recorded. For weight measurement, patients were instructed to remain in the fasting condition, wear light clothing, and take off their shoes. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and pulse rate were measured using a blood pressure monitor (HEM-7312; OMRON, Kyoto, Japan). VFA was assessed using bioelectric impedance analysis (InBody 720, Seoul, South Korea). Fasting blood samples were collected in the morning and analyzed at the Clinical Laboratory of Shandong Provincial Hospital. β-cell function (HOMA-B) and insulin sensitivity (HOMA-S) were estimated using FPG and fasting C-peptide in an updated Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA2) obtained from the University of Oxford database (