Metformin is the first-line therapy for obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); however, a substantial proportion of patients exhibit inadequate glycemic control despite optimal dosing. This protocol describes a retrospective cohort approach to evaluate the effects of saxagliptin combined with liraglutide on microinflammation and adipokine profiles in obese T2DM patients with poor response to metformin. A total of 116 eligible patients were identified from electronic medical records and assigned to receive either saxagliptin monotherapy or saxagliptin combined with liraglutide based on predefined clinical criteria. The protocol includes standardized procedures for patient selection, group allocation, metabolic assessment, and laboratory measurement of inflammatory markers, adipokines, and metabolic parameters. Representative outcomes demonstrate that both treatment regimens are associated with improvements in glycemic control, lipid metabolism, and insulin resistance. The combination regimen shows greater reductions in inflammatory markers and more favorable modulation of adipokine profiles compared to monotherapy, while maintaining a comparable safety profile. These findings illustrate the application of this protocol for evaluating multi-target metabolic interventions in real-world clinical settings. This method provides a reproducible framework for assessing combined pharmacological strategies in obese T2DM patients with suboptimal response to first-line therapy and may support further clinical and translational investigations. Key words: Saxagliptin; Liraglutide; Obesity-related type 2 diabetes; inflammatory response; Microinflammatory response.
