title: Frequency of lipodystrophy induced by recombinant human insulin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lipodystrophy is a potential clinical complication induced by insulin therapy, and it is believed that its frequency has been reduced by using recombinant human insulin. Aim of this study was to determine the frequency of recombinant human insulin induced lipodystrophy in diabetic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross sectional study was done on 220 diabetics referring to Imam Educational Hospital of Sari Township in 2007-2008 who had been under treatment with recombinant human insulin at least three months before. First, the anthropologic and clinical features of the patients were recorded in questionnaire, then all of the patients were examined clinically for lipodystrophy. In all patients, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) was measured for control of the blood glucose. The obtained data were analyzed by the descriptive statistical methods, t-test and 2 test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From the total 220 diabetics under study, 35 (15.9%) had insulin induced lipodystrophy, of them 32 (14.5%) had lipohypertrophy and 3 (1.4%) with lipoatrophy. Factors such as age, sex, level of education, body mass index (BMI), type of diabetes, period of using insulin and injection site had significant influence in development of insulin induced lipodystrophy (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings of this study revealed that despite using a recombinant human insulin, the frequency of the lipodystrophy particularly of lipohypertrophy still remained high level. Therefore, a regular examination of the diabetic patients for this complication is necessary, specially in the individuals who have a defective control on their blood glucose level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatolog, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hajheydari
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kashi
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Akha
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akbarzadeh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008060:Lipodystrophy / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007328:Insulin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human