Improvement of type 2 diabetes mellitus control with hydroxychloroquine added to triple oral antidiabetis drugs: a case report

Hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug has also been found to possess antidiabetic action. It inactivates insulin degradation enzymes and also delays the dis­sociation of insulin from the insulin receptor thus also lowering the insulin resistance and increasing insulin sensitivity. Here we report a case of a male patient with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who obtained a better glycemic control when hydroxychlo­roquine was added to the existing pharmacotherapy. The patient has been taking metformin, glimepiride and acarbose for the last 2 years but his diabetes was poorly controlled with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) of 9.6%. Patient was proposed to intensify the treatment with insulin however he refused it. He was subsequently prescribed hydroxychloroquine 400 mg. Patient responded well to the therapy of hydroxy­chloroquine and subsequent follow-ups showed good glycaemic control. (Clin Diabetol 2017; 6, 6: 211–214