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Prevention of weight gain in type 2 diabetes requiring insulin treatment
Author(s) -
De Boer H.,
Jansen M.,
Koerts J.,
Verschoor L.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
diabetes, obesity and metabolism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.445
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1463-1326
pISSN - 1462-8902
DOI - 10.1111/j.1463-1326.2004.00322.x
Subject(s) - glimepiride , medicine , postprandial , insulin , type 2 diabetes , weight gain , endocrinology , adverse effect , diabetes mellitus , regimen , overweight , body weight , obesity
Background: Patients with type 2 diabetes who are failing on oral agents will generally gain a large amount of body fat when switched to insulin treatment. This adverse effect may be related to chronic hyperinsulinism induced by long‐acting insulin compounds. Aim: To test the concept that regain of glycaemic control can be achieved without causing weight gain, using a regimen free of long‐acting insulin. Methods: In a 3‐month open‐label pilot study including 25 patients with moderate overweight and secondary failure, we investigated whether nocturnal glycaemic control could be achieved with glimepiride administered at 20:00 hours. The starting dose was 1–2 mg, with subsequent titration up to a maximum of 6 mg. Rapid‐acting insulin analogues were used three times daily to regain postprandial glucose control. Results: Glycaemic control at 3 months was established with glimepiride in a dose of 4.4 ± 0.3 mg/day (mean ± standard error of the mean), and a total daily insulin dose of 24.1 ± 2.6 IU. Fasting glucose levels decreased from 12.7 ± 0.6 mmol/l to 8.1 ± 0.3 mmol/l (p < 0.001), and target levels were reached in 14 of 25 patients (56%). Mean HbA1c decreased from 10.5 ± 0.4 to 7.7 ± 0.2% (p < 0.001). Symptomatic nocturnal hypoglycaemia was not reported. Body weight did not change (85.7 ± 3.6 kg vs. 85.7 ± 3.3 kg, p = 0.99). Conclusion: The data suggest that this new approach may be useful in about 50% of type 2 diabetes patients presenting with failure on maximal oral treatment.