title: Insulin glargine improves hemoglobin A1c in children and adolescents with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes.
abstract: The pediatric diabetes team at the University of Minnesota made a clinical decision to switch patients with type 1 diabetes with a hemoglobin A1c level greater than 8.0% to insulin glargine in an effort to improve glycemic control. Retrospective chart analysis was performed on 37 patients 6 months after the switch to insulin glargine therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 6 months, the average hemoglobin A1c level in the entire cohort dropped from 10.1 +/- 2.0 to 8.9 +/- 1.6% (p = 0.001). Thirty patients responded with an average hemoglobin A1c drop of 1.7 +/- 1.5%, from 10.3 +/- 2.2 to 8.6 +/- 1.5% (p < 0.001). Seven patients did not respond to insulin glargine therapy, with an average hemoglobin A1c rise of 1.0 +/- 0.8% from a baseline of 9.5 +/- 1.0% to 10.4 +/- 1.4% (p = 0.01). The greatest response was seen in children with an A1c > 12.0%, who dropped their hemoglobin A1c by 3.5 +/- 1.9%. Compared with responders, non-responders had significantly less contact with the diabetes team in the form of clinic visits and telephone conversations both before and after initiation of glargine therapy. Sixty-two per cent of patients received insulin glargine at lunchtime, when injections could be supervised at school. Three episodes of severe hypoglycemia occurred after initiation of insulin glargine therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Insulin glargine substantially improved glycemic control in children and adolescents with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes. This response was most remarkable in those with a baseline hemoglobin A1c level > 12.0%, and may have been related to increased supervision of injections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, 516 Delaware St. SE, Mpls, MN 55455, USA.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ternand
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brunzell
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kleinschmidt
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dew
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Milla
authors.forename: Antoinette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moran
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016883:Diabetic Ketoacidosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000517:prevention & control; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007328:Insulin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000069036:Insulin Glargine; D049528:Insulin, Long-Acting; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D000069036:Insulin Glargine; D049528:Insulin, Long-Acting