Before oral agents fail: the case for starting insulin early.
The progressive nature of Type 2 diabetes presents a challenge over the choice and course of treatment. Strict metabolic control is recommended to reduce the risk of diabetic morbidity and premature mortality. Treatment usually occurs in a step-wise manner as the insulin secretory capacity of the beta-cells diminishes. There are a variety of oral hypoglycaemic agents (OHAs) to choose from but the efficacy of all is influenced by beta-cell function. Eventual progression to insulin therapy is inevitable after beta-cell failure and it is important that this is not delayed. Insulin in combination with OHAs can significantly improve glycaemic control and provide a 'bridge' from oral-only to insulin-only therapy. Combination therapy requires few injections and there is a reduced tendency for weight gain compared with multiple insulin injection regimens. After starting insulin, metabolic control may significantly improve in OHA-treated patients. It is therefore prudent to initiate insulin at an early stage in the course of Type 2 diabetes. In this context, the use of premixed insulin analogues in combination with OHAs allows effective postprandial glucose control, a twice-daily injection regimen and a short meal-injection interval.
Marre
M
M
Service de Diabétologie/Endocrinologie, Hôpital Bichat Claude Bernard, Paris, France. michel.marre@bch.ap-hop-paris.fr
D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017211:Treatment Failure
D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin