Insulin therapy in diabetes type 2: indications modalities and results

ABSTRACT

After several years of evolution, insulin therapy becomes necessary in type 2 diabetes mellitus. However there is still an ongoing controversy in the studies devoted to this subject. The objective of our retrospective study was to evaluate the indications, the modalities and the results of insulin treatment in 106 patients with type 2 diabetes. Insulin treatment was temporary in 20 patients [18.86%] and definitive in 86 patients [81.14%]. The therapeutic protocol used a combined treatment with oral hypoglycaemic agents in 11 cases [10.38%], a conventional treatment in 48 cases [45.28%] or an intensive therapy in 47 cases [44.34%]. The outcome could be evaluated in 86patients after 6 months and 1 year. At the first follow-up [6 months], 59 patients [68.6%] had a significant reduction in fasting glycemia [7.8 vs 15.5 mmol/l], post prandial glycemia [8.9 vs 25.8 mmol/l] and glycated haemoglobin [6.9% vs 10.2%]. 69 patients [80.24%] had a mean weight gain of 7 +/- 5 kg and 8 [7.5%] had hypoglycaemic episodes. In the total number of 59 patients who improved with the insulin treatment, 46 patients 77.96% were treated with the intensive insulin protocol. Insulin treatment in type 2 diabetic patients seems to have a limited risk of hypoglycaemia but causes an important weight gain