Deterioration in blood glucose control in females with diabetes changed to a basal-bolus regimen using a pen-injector.
Although the basal-bolus regimen of insulin delivery is more physiological than conventional twice daily insulin it does not usually improve blood glucose control. Having recently withdrawn 3 patients from pen-injector therapy for deteriorated blood glucose control we examined the records of all our diabetic patients on a pen-injector for at least 1 year. Of the 51 patients identified, 3 had died, 2 moved away, and 4 patients (3 females) had pen-injector therapy withdrawn for poor control; 3 patients had inadequate records. The remaining 21 males and 18 females were well matched for age, duration of diabetes, and duration of pen-injector treatment. Blood glucose control deteriorated significantly during pen-injector therapy in female patients (9.6 +/- 1.2 to 10.7 +/- 1.4%, p = 0.02), but not in the males (9.3 +/- 1.3 vs 9.4 +/- 1.4%, NS). Weight and insulin dose did not change significantly in any patient. Blood glucose control may deteriorate in young women with diabetes changed to insulin therapy with a pen-injector.
Hardy
K J
KJ
Department of Medicine, Arrowe Park Hospital, Wirral, Merseyside, UK.
Jones
K E
KE
Gill
G V
GV
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male
D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007328:Insulin