Long-term efficacy and safety of insulin detemir compared to Neutral Protamine Hagedorn insulin in patients with Type 1 diabetes using a treat-to-target basal-bolus regimen with insulin aspart at meals: a 2-year, randomized, controlled trial.

AIMS: This 24-month, multi-national, open-label, parallel group trial investigated the long-term efficacy and safety of insulin detemir and Neutral Protamine Hagedorn insulin in combination with mealtime insulin aspart in patients with Type 1 diabetes using a treat-to-target concept. METHODS: Patients were randomized 2 : 1 to detemir (n = 331) or NPH (n = 166) groups. Basal insulin was initiated once daily (evening) and titrated individually based on self-measured plasma glucose (PG) levels, aiming for pre-breakfast and pre-dinner targets < or = 6.0 mmol/l. A second basal morning dose could be added according to pre-defined criteria. RESULTS: After 24 months, superiority of glycated haemoglobin (HbA(1c)) was achieved with detemir compared to NPH (detemir 7.36%, NPH 7.58%, mean difference -0.22% points) [95% confidence interval (CI) -0.41 to -0.03%], with reductions of 0.94% and 0.72% points, respectively. Fasting PG (FPG(lab)) was also lower with detemir (detemir 8.35 mmol/l, NPH 9.43 mmol/l; P = 0.019). Twenty-two per cent of patients treated with detemir reached an HbA(1c) < or = 7.0% in the absence of confirmed hypoglycaemia during the last month of treatment vs. 13% on NPH (P = 0.019). Risk of major and nocturnal hypoglycaemia was 69% and 46% lower with detemir than with NPH (P < 0.001), respectively; patients treated with detemir gained less weight (detemir 1.7 kg, NPH 2.7 kg; P = 0.024). The overall safety profile was similar in the two groups and treatment with detemir did not result in any unexpected findings. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term treatment with the insulin analogues detemir + aspart was superior to NPH + aspart in reducing HbA(1c), with added benefits of less major and nocturnal hypoglycaemia and less weight gain.

Comparison of insulin detemir and insulin glargine in subjects with Type 1 diabetes using intensive insulin therapy.

AIMS: To compare glycaemic control and risk of hypoglycaemia of twice-daily insulin detemir with once-daily insulin glargine in subjects with Type 1 diabetes. METHODS: In this 26-week, multicentre, open-label, parallel-group trial, 320 subjects with Type 1 diabetes received either insulin detemir twice daily or insulin glargine once daily. each in combination with premeal insulin aspart. RESULTS: After 26 weeks, HbA(1c) had decreased from 8.8 to 8.2% in the insulin detemir group and from 8.7 to 8.2% in the insulin glargine group. Home-measured fasting plasma glucose (PG) was lower with insulin glargine than with insulin detemir (7.0 vs. 7.7 mmol/l, P < 0.001). The overall shape of the home-measured nine-point PG profiles was comparable between treatments (P = 0.125). Overall, there was no significant difference in within-subject variation in PG (P = 0.437). Within-subject variation in predinner PG was lower with insulin detemir than with insulin glargine (P < 0.05). The overall risk of hypoglycaemia was similar with no differences in confirmed hypoglycaemia. However, the risk of severe and nocturnal hypoglycaemia was 72% and 32%, respectively, lower with insulin detemir than with insulin glargine (P < 0.05). Body weight gain was not significantly different comparing insulin detemir and insulin glargine (0.52 kg vs. 0.96 kg, P = 0.193). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with twice-daily insulin detemir or once-daily insulin glargine, each in combination with insulin aspart, resulted in similar glycaemic control. The overall risk of hypoglycaemia was comparable, whereas the risks of both severe and nocturnal hypoglycaemia were significantly lower with insulin detemir.

Insulin detemir lowers the risk of hypoglycaemia and provides more consistent plasma glucose levels compared with NPH insulin in Type 1 diabetes.

AIMS: Hypoglycaemia remains a major barrier preventing optimal glycaemic control in Type 1 diabetes due to the limitations of conventional insulin preparations. We investigated whether basal-bolus therapy with insulin detemir (detemir), a new soluble basal insulin analogue, was more effective in reducing the risk of hypoglycaemia compared with NPH insulin (NPH). METHODS: In this multinational, open-label, cross-over trial, 130 individuals with Type 1 diabetes received detemir and NPH twice daily in a randomized order in combination with premeal insulin aspart (IAsp) during two 16-week treatment periods. Risk of hypoglycaemia was based on self-measured plasma glucose (SMPG) and self-reported episodes during the last 10 weeks of each period. RESULTS: Risk of nocturnal and overall hypoglycaemia was, respectively, 50% and 18% lower with detemir than with NPH (P < 0.001). A total of 19 severe hypoglycaemic episodes occurred during treatment with detemir compared with 33 with NPH (NS). HbA(1c) decreased by 0.3% point with both treatments and was comparable at 7.6% (+/- sem 0.06%, 95% confidence interval -0.106, 0.108) after 16 weeks with similar doses of basal insulin. Within-person variation in mean plasma glucose was lower with detemir than with NPH (sd 3.00 vs. 3.33, P < 0.001), as was prebreakfast SMPG (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Detemir was associated with a significantly lower risk of hypoglycaemia compared with NPH at similar HbA1c when used in combination with mealtime IAsp. The more consistent plasma glucose levels observed with detemir may allow people to aim for tighter glycaemic control without an increased risk of hypoglycaemia.