Comparison of once-daily glargine plus sulfonylurea with twice-daily 70/30 aspart premix in insulin-naive Japanese patients with diabetes.
BACKGROUND
Type 2 diabetes patients insufficiently controlled with sulfonylurea (SU) are commonly treated by switching to twice-daily premix insulin replacing SU. The efficacy of glargine (GL) added on to SU compared with the premix therapy has not been analyzed in Japan.


METHODS
The open-label two-arm study was conducted in 30 type 2 diabetes patients poorly controlled [hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) >7.5%] with SU with or without other oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs). The GL group injected once-daily GL in addition to the OHAs. The aspart 70/30 (70/30) group discontinued SU among the OHAs and injected twice-daily 70/30. Patients were recommended either method in a block random method, and if twice-daily 70/30 was rejected, once-daily GL was selected only at the first time. The insulin dose was titrated to achieve a target fasting plasma glucose of <120 mg/dL and/or HbA(1c) of <7%.


RESULTS
Nineteen of 20 patients treated with GL and 11 of 14 patients treated with 70/30 completed the 6-month study. Mean HbA(1c) improved from 8.45% to 7.5% in the GL group and from 9.13% to 7.93% in the 70/30 group. The mean HbA(1c) decrease during 6 months was -0.95% in the GL group and -1.20% in the 70/30 group (P = 0.49). Mean insulin doses at 6 months were 12.0 units/day for the GL group and 26.7 units/day for the 70/30 group. Both therapies were well tolerated without severe hypoglycemia.


CONCLUSIONS
Once-daily GL injection added on to OHAs was equally safe and effective compared with twice-daily injection of aspart 70/30 premix replacing SU in type 2 patients insufficiently controlled with OHAs.
Tamemoto
Hiroyuki
H
Department of Comprehensive Medicine, Omiya Medical Center, Jichi Medical University, Saitama, Japan. tamemoto@omiya.jichi.ac.jp
Ikoma
Aki
A
Saitoh
Takako
T
Ishikawa
San-E
SE
Kawakami
Masanobu
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000139:chemically induced; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D061267:Insulin Aspart; D000069036:Insulin Glargine; D049528:Insulin, Long-Acting; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013453:Sulfonylurea Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects
D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin; D061267:Insulin Aspart; D000069036:Insulin Glargine; D049528:Insulin, Long-Acting; D013453:Sulfonylurea Compounds