title: [General insulin therapy practice in type 2 diabetes mellitus].
abstract: In most patients with Type 2 Diabetes, the primary treatment goal is near-normoglycemia. If diet, physical activity, and oral hypoglycemic agents fail to achieve the individual treatment goal, insulin therapy must be considered. Insulin therapy in patients with Type 2 Diabetes is safe, highly efficient and should be initiated not too late. We recommend to perform the insulin therapy in Type 2 Diabetics individually upon the patients characteristics, no general recommendation can be given. Possible approaches to start an insulin therapy in general practice are discussed. Insulin therapy may be initiated as bedtime insulin (depot insulin at bedtime) in combination with oral agents. In patients who fail to achieve good glycemic control with this combination therapy, mealtime insulin (short-acting insulin before the meals) may be introduced instead of the oral agents (multiple injection regimen). Bedtime insulin may be discontinued when fasting glucose concentrations remain in the desired range and no rise of glucose concentrations occurs during the night. The two-insulin-injection regimen with mixed insulin formulations may be initiated in patients with Type 2 Diabetes when a multiple injection regimen is not feasible. The two-insulin-injection should not be considered as the primary insulin strategy in patients with Type 2 Diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Endokrinologie und Diabetologie, Departement Innere Medizin, Universitätsspital Zürich, Zürich. peter.wiesli@dim.usz.ch
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wiesli
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Spinas
mesh_terms: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin