title: 'Glucose control-related' and 'non-glucose control-related' effects of insulin on weight gain in newly insulin-treated type 2 diabetic patients.
abstract: Insulin use is common in type 2 diabetes and is frequently accompanied by weight gain, the composition of which is poorly understood. The present study evaluates insulin-induced body composition changes. Body weight and composition of thirty-two type 2 diabetic patients undergoing their first 12 months of insulin therapy were compared with those observed in thirty-two type 2 diabetic patients previously treated on insulin (minimum 1 year). Body composition was determined by simultaneous body water spaces (bioelectrical impedance analysis) and body density measurements. After 6 months, glycosylated Hb (HbA1c) significantly improved in the newly treated group (P<0.0001), but remained stable in those treated previously. HbA1c did not differ between 6 and 12 months in the two groups. Body weight significantly (P=0.04) changed over 12 months in those newly treated only (+2.8 kg), essentially comprising fat-free mass (P=0.044). Fat mass remained unchanged (P=0.85) as did total body water, while extracellular: total body water ratio tended to increase in those newly treated (P=0.059). Weight changes correlated with HbA1c changes (R2 0.134, P=0.002) in the initial 6 months only. Insulin therapy leads to weight gain (2.8 kg), predominantly fat-free mass, over 12 months. After 6 months, newly treated patients continued gaining weight despite an unchanged HbA1c, suggesting the potential anabolic role of insulin in subsequent gains. Therefore, in the initial 6 months, weight gain can be attributed to a 'glucose control-related effect' and further gain appears to be due to a 'non-glucose control-related' effect of insulin treatment.
authors.affiliation: Inserm UMR694, CHU Angers, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sallé
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guilloteau
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bouhanick
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Berrut
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ritz
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D001834:Body Water / Q000378:metabolism; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D010991:Plethysmography / Q000379:methods; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007328:Insulin