title: Potential of education-based insulin therapy for achievement of good metabolic control: a real-life experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Achievement of good metabolic control in Type 1 diabetes is a difficult task in routine diabetes care. Education-based flexible intensified insulin therapy has the potential to meet the therapeutic targets while limiting the risk for severe hypoglycaemia. We evaluated the metabolic control and the rate of severe hypoglycaemia in real-life clinical practice in a centre using flexible intensified insulin therapy as standard of care since 1990.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients followed for Type 1 diabetes (n = 206) or those with other causes of absolute insulin deficiency (n = 17) in our outpatient clinic were analysed in a cross-sectional study. Mean age (± standard deviation) was 48.9 ± 15.7 years, with diabetes duration of 21.4 ± 14.4 years. Outcome measures were HbA(1c) and frequency of severe hypoglycaemia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median HbA(1c) was 7.1% (54 mmol/mol) [interquartile range 6.6-7.8 (51-62 mmol/mol)]; a good or acceptable metabolic control with HbA(1c) < 7.0% (53 mmol/mol) or 7.5% (58 mmol/mol) was reached in 43.5 and 64.6% of the patients, respectively. The frequency of severe hypoglycaemic episodes was 15 per 100 patient years: 72.3% of the patients did not experience any such episodes during the past 5 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Good or acceptable metabolic control is achievable in the majority of patients with Type 1 diabetes or other causes of absolute insulin deficiency in routine diabetes care while limiting the risk for severe hypoglycaemia.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Albrecht
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Puder
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zulewski
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin