Education Plus Glargine Provides No Weight Gain and Improved Control

Insulin glargine in combination with educational support and close clinical supervision significantly improved metabolic control without significant weight change in patients with Type 2 diabetes. This retrospective analysis was performed to establish the effect of initiating insulin glargine (LANTUS), a once-daily basal insulin analogue, in combination with an educational program on glyaemic control and body weight in sub-optimally controlled patients with Type 2 diabetes in clinical practice.

They undertook a retrospective review of the medical records of 46 patients (mean age 61.5 +/- 8.6 years) with Type 2 diabetes. These patients had previously been treated with oral antidiabetic agents (OADs; n = 18) or insulin only (n = 28) and had then received insulin glargine in combination with OADs or prandial insulin, for 30 months. Records of metabolic control and body weight data were analyzed at 9 and 30 months. Patients had taken part in a diabetes educational program before initiation of insulin glargine and received continued physician consultations throughout.

Following initiation of insulin glargine, patients showed a significant decrease in HbA(1c) from 8.14 +/- 1.7% to 7.18 +/- 0.9% at 30 months (p < 0.001). When the results were analyzed by pre-treatment, patients pre-treated with OADs showed a reduction in HbA(1c) of 2.3% at 30 months (p < 0.001), while patients pre-treated with insulin only showed a decrease in HbA(1c) of 0.4% (p < 0.005). There was no significant change in body weight. No unexpected adverse events or episodes of severe hypoglycaemia (blood glucose < 40 mg/dL [< 2.2 mmol/L]) occurred.

From the results it was concluded, that Insulin glargine in combination with educational support and close clinical supervision significantly improved metabolic control without significant weight change in patients with Type 2 diabetes in clinical practice over 30 months.
Curr Med Res Opin. 2006 Feb;22(2):335-41.