title: Need for insulin therapy in type II diabetes mellitus. A randomized trial.
abstract: To identify patients with type II diabetes mellitus for whom insulin therapy is most beneficial, we conducted a randomized controlled trial in the general medicine clinic of a university hospital. Asymptomatic, obese, insulin-treated patients were given diet and diabetes education and, in half of these patients, insulin therapy was withdrawn. Over six months, patients developing hyperglycemic symptoms or acetonemia were counted as study failures. Failure criteria developed in 13 of 25 insulin-withdrawal patients, at a median of four weeks after withdrawal, compared with two of 24 control subjects. Elevated stimulated glucose levels predicted the need for insulin therapy. Hyperglycemia worsened in insulin-withdrawal patients who did not meet study failure criteria, but it improved in control patients. Study patients were insulin deficient as shown by low baseline C peptide values (0.43 +/- 0.05 nmol/L). The prompt metabolic decompensation precipitated by insulin withdrawal suggests that insulin-deficient patients may benefit from insulin therapy and may need it to prevent symptomatic hyperglycemia.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Frazier
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Mulrow
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Heise
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Feussner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003927:Diet, Diabetic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000209:etiology; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007657:Ketone Bodies / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000178:diet therapy; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin; D007657:Ketone Bodies