Insulin glargine improves hemoglobin A1c in children and adolescents with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes.
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.
Jackson
Anne
A
Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, 516 Delaware St. SE, Mpls, MN 55455, USA.
Ternand
Christine
C
Brunzell
Carol
C
Kleinschmidt
Teresa
T
Dew
Dawn
D
Milla
Carlos
C
Moran
Antoinette
A
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
D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D000069036:Insulin Glargine; D049528:Insulin, Long-Acting