Glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes who initiate basal insulin: a retrospective cohort study

The Clinical Impact of Switching Basal Insulin to Insulin Degludec in Patients With Diabetes in Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design Study

BACKGROUND

Diabetes is a health problem that has an enormous and intolerable public health burden on the individual, family, and community. Diabetes affects nearly one-fifth of adults in Saudi Arabia and is expected to double by 2030.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The study aims to evaluate the impact of switching patients from conventional basal insulin analogues to insulin degludec during a 90-day follow-up period.

METHODS

This was a retrospective observational pretest-posttest cohort study conducted at King Abdulaziz University Hospital between June 2019 and August 2020. Adult patients with diabetes who switched their basal insulin to insulin degludec were included and evaluated for its impact on insulin doses, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), hypoglycemic events, and/or body weight changes during a 90-day follow-up period.

RESULTS

Out of 718 patients, 107 patients were included in the study, with 60.7% being females and their mean (± SD) age was 62.2 ± 14.6 years. There was a significant decrease in the mean baseline of HbA1c from 9.2% to 8.7% after 90 days of follow-up (P<0.001). A statistically significant reduction was noted in the total insulin requirements from a baseline of 71.70 (± 42.4) units to 46.5 (± 29) units, P=0.001, after switching to insulin degludec. However, there were no statistically significant differences in the body weight from the baseline mean (± SD) of 80.5 kg (± 19.4) to 79.9 kg (± 19.9), P=0.68, after switching to insulin degludec. Lastly, there were no statistically significant differences in the reported hypoglycemic episodes from a baseline of 48.7% vs 37.3% after 90 days of follow-up (P = 0.166).

CONCLUSION

Switching to the novel insulin degludec conferred better blood glucose control and dose reduction. There was no increase in the frequency of hypoglycemic episodes or body weight.

Real-life effects of adding weekly subcutaneous semaglutide to insulin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVES

This work aims to determine the real-life anthropometric and analytical benefits of adding subcutaneous semaglutide to previous insulin treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

This is a descriptive, retrospective, open-label study describing the clinical and anthropometric characteristics of 117 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes followed-up on in the Endocrinology and Nutrition outpatient clinic of the Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias for 53 weeks after starting treatment with subcutaneous semaglutide (October-December 2019). All patients were on previous insulin treatment with or without oral antidiabetics.

RESULTS

Of the 117 initial patients, 17 did not complete the study due to adverse effects (nausea, vomiting), the physician's decision, or loss to follow-up. Twelve months (week 53) after starting semaglutide, there was a decrease in HbA1c of 0.74% (95% CI 0.59-1.14, p < 0.05) as well as 3.61 kg of weight loss (95% CI 2.30-4.92, p < 0.05) and a decline in total insulin of 15.88 IU (95% CI 10.98-20.74, p < 0.05) from baseline figures. In patients without prior GLP-1 receptor analogs (GLP-1ra), the effect in terms of a reduction in HbA1c, weight, and the total insulin dose was statistically significant. However, in patients pre-treated with GLP-1ra only had improvements in terms of weight loss. No serious adverse events were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of subcutaneous semaglutide to prior insulin treatment with or without oral antidiabetics safely led to a decrease in HbA1c, weight, and the insulin dose. This effect is greater in GLP-1ra naive patients.

Glycemic control in newly insulin-initiated patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A retrospective follow-up study at a university hospital in Ethiopia

Background

Though many trials had examined the effectiveness of taking insulin with or without oral agents, there are limited real-world data, particularly among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the resource limited settings. This study aimed to examine level of glycemic control among patients with T2DM after initiation of insulin and factors associated with poor glycemic control.

Methods

An analysis of retrospective medical records of patients with T2DM who initiated insulin due to uncontrolled hyperglycemia by oral agents was conducted from 2015–2020 in the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. Difference in median fasting plasma glucose (FPG) before and after insulin initiations was examined by a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Kruskal Wallis test was performed to explore difference in the median level of FPG among treatment groups. A logistic regression model was also used to identify associated factors of poor glycemic control after insulin initiation. Statistical significance was declared at p < 0.05.

Results

Of 424 enrolled patients with T2DM, 54.7% were males and the mean age was 59.3±9.3 years. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed that there was significant deference in FPG before and after insulin initiation (P < 0.001). A declining trend of blood glucose was observed during the 1-year follow-up period of post-initiation. However, majority of the participants did not achieve target glucose levels. Participants who had higher FPG and systolic blood pressure (SBP) before insulin initiation were found more likely to have poor glycemic control after insulin initiation. Similarly, patients who received atorvastatin compared with simvastatin were found to have poor glycemic control in the post-period of initiation (P = 0.04). Premixed insulin was associated with a lower likelihood of poor glycemic control than neutral protamine Hagedorn (NPH) insulin (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Following insulin initiation, a significant change in glycemic level and declining trend of FPG was observed during a 1-year follow-up period. However, the majority of patients still had a poorly controlled glycemic level. Appropriate management focusing on predictors of glycemic control would be of a great benefit to achieve glycemic control.

Racial Differences in the Use of Aortic Valve Replacement for Treatment of Symptomatic Severe Aortic Valve Stenosis in the Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Era

Background

Aortic valve replacement (AVR) is a life‐saving treatment for patients with symptomatic severe aortic valve stenosis. We sought to determine whether transcatheter AVR has resulted in a more equitable treatment rate by race in the United States.

Methods and Results

A total of 32 853 patients with symptomatic severe aortic valve stenosis were retrospectively identified via Optum’s deidentified electronic health records database (2007–2017). AVR rates in non‐Hispanic Black and White patients were assessed in the year after diagnosis. Multivariate Fine‐Gray hazards models were used to evaluate the likelihood of AVR by race, with adjustment for patient factors and the managing cardiologist. Time‐trend and 1‐year symptomatic severe aortic valve stenosis survival analyses were also performed. From 2011 to 2016, the rate of AVR increased from 20.1% to 37.1%. Overall, Black individuals were less likely than Whites to receive AVR (22.9% versus 31.0%; unadjusted hazard ratio [HR], 0.70; 95% CI, 0.62–0.79; fully adjusted HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.67–0.85). Yet, during 2015 to 2016, AVR racial differences were attenuated (29.5% versus 35.2%; adjusted HR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.74–1.02) because of greater uptake of transcatheter AVR in Blacks than Whites (53.4% of AVRs versus 47.3%; P=0.128). Untreated patients had significantly higher 1‐year mortality than those treated (adjusted HR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.53–0.61), which was consistent by race (interaction P value=0.52).

Conclusions

Although transcatheter AVR has increased the use of AVR in the United States, treatment rates remain low. Black patients with symptomatic severe aortic valve stenosis were less likely than White patients to receive AVR, yet these differences have recently narrowed.

Clinical Use of IDegLira: Initiation to Titration After Basal Insulin

Delayed treatment intensification is common in U.S. patients with type 2 diabetes uncontrolled on basal insulin. Concerns about weight gain, hypoglycemia, increased regimen complexity, and additional copayments may lead to reluctance to initiate prandial insulin. IDegLira is a titratable, fixed-ratio coformulation that combines the advantages of insulin degludec and the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist liraglutide in a single once-daily injection and mitigates the side effects associated with each component. Clinical trials have demonstrated that IDegLira improves glycemic control without the increased risk of hypoglycemia and weight gain observed with basal insulin up-titration and the addition of prandial insulin, and this is achieved using twice-weekly titration. Clinical trials and real-world studies have also shown that IDegLira has the potential to reduce therapeutic and titration inertia. However, better outcomes could be achieved with IDegLira initiation in suitable patients with timely titration and by providers sharing their experience with this combination product. This review describes considerations for initiation, titration, and intensification of IDegLira in patients previously receiving basal insulin.

The good companions: insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist in type 2 diabetes. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

We provided an updated systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the metabolic effects of combination therapy of insulin and GLP-1RA (combo) in comparison with other injectable therapy. We searched PubMed, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.gov for RCTs evaluating changes in HbA1c (primary outcome), proportion of patients at HbA1c target <7%, hypoglycaemia, and weight change (secondary end-points). We included 36 RCTs involving 14,636 patients. Compared with comparator therapies (overall analysis), the combo led to a significant HbA1c reduction (=-0.49%, 95% CI -0.61 to -0.38%, P < 0.001), more patients at HbA1c target [relative risk, (RR) = 1.77, 95% CI, 1.56, 2.01, P < 0.001], similar hypoglycaemic events (RR = 1.03, 95% CI, 0.88, 1.19, P = 0.728), and reduction in body weight (-2.5 Kg, 95% CI -3.1 to -1.8 kg, P < 0.001), with high heterogeneity in each analysis. The quality of the evidence was low for three of the considered outcomes. Compared with intensified insulin regimens (basal-plus/basal-bolus) the combo produced similar glycemic control with reduction of both hypoglycaemia, and body weight. Combination therapy of GLP-1RA and insulin could represent a valuable treatment strategy to improve glycemic control in the management of type 2 diabetes.

Cardiovascular risk profile in individuals initiating treatment for overactive bladder - Challenges and learnings for comparative analysis using linked claims and electronic medical record databases

For managing overactive bladder (OAB), mirabegron, a β3 adrenergic receptor agonist, is typically used as second-line pharmacotherapy after antimuscarinics. Therefore, patients initiating treatment with mirabegron and antimuscarinics may differ, potentially impacting associated clinical outcomes. When using observational data to evaluate real-world safety and effectiveness of OAB treatments, residual bias due to unmeasured confounding and/or confounding by indication are important considerations. Falsification analysis, in which clinically irrelevant endpoints are tested as a reference, can be used to assess residual bias. The objective in this study was to compare baseline cardiovascular risk among OAB patients by treatment, and assess the presence of residual bias via falsification analysis of OAB patients treated with mirabegron or antimuscarinics, to determine whether clinically relevant comparisons across groups would be feasible. Linked electronic health record and claims data (Optum/Humedica) for OAB patients in the United States from 2011-2015 were available, with index defined as first date of OAB treatment during this period. Unadjusted characteristics were compared across groups at index and propensity-matching conducted. Falsification endpoints (hepatitis C, shingles, community-acquired pneumonia) were compared between groups using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The study identified 10,311 antimuscarinic- and 408 mirabegron-treated patients. Mirabegron patients were predominantly older males, with more comorbidities. The analytic sample included 1,188 antimuscarinic patients propensity-matched to 396 mirabegron patients; after matching, no significant baseline differences remained. Estimates of falsification ORs were 0.7 (CI:0.3-1.7) for shingles, 1.5 (CI:0.3-8.2) for hepatitis C, 0.8 (CI:0.4-1.8) and 0.9 (CI:0.6-1.4) for pneumonia. While propensity matching successfully balanced observed covariates, wide CIs prevented definitive conclusions regarding residual bias. Accordingly, further observational comparisons by treatment group were not pursued. In real-world analysis, bias-detection methods could not confirm that differences in cardiovascular risk in patients receiving mirabegron versus antimuscarinics were fully adjusted for, precluding clinically relevant comparisons across treatment groups.

Socio-economic status and HbA1c in type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Up until now, differences in HbA_1c levels by socio-economic status (SES) have been identified, but not yet quantified in people with type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was therefore to assess the difference in HbA_1c levels between people with type 2 diabetes of different SES in a systematic review and meta-analysis. A systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, Ebsco, and the Cochrane Library until January 14, 2018. Included studies described adults with type 2 diabetes in whom the association between SES and HbA_1c levels was studied. Studies were rated for methodological quality and data were synthesized quantitatively (meta-analysis) and qualitatively (levels of evidence), stratified for type of SES variable, i.e., education, income, deprivation, and employment. Fifty-one studies were included: 15 high, 27 moderate, and 9 of low methodological quality. Strong evidence was provided that people of low SES have higher HbA_1c levels than people of high SES, for deprivation, education, and employment status. The pooled mean difference in HbA_1c levels between people of low and high SES was 0.26% (95% CI, 0.09-0.43) or 3.12 mmol/mol (95% CI, 1.21-5.04) for education and 0.20% (95% CI, -0.05 to 0.46) or 2.36 mmol/mol (95%CI, -0.61 to 5.33) for income. In conclusion, our systematic review and meta-analysis showed that there was an inverse association between SES and HbA_1c levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Future research should focus on finding SES-sensitive strategies to reduce HbA_1c levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

Comparative safety and efficacy of insulin degludec with insulin glargine in type 2 and type 1 diabetes: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

AIMS

To determine the safety and efficacy of insulin degludec versus glargine in patients with type 1 (T1D) and type 2 (T2D) diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

Databases were searched until July 5, 2017. We included randomized controlled trials comparing degludec with glargine in diabetic patients, each with a minimum of 16 weeks of follow-up.

RESULTS

Eighteen trials with 16,791 patients were included. Degludec was associated with a statistically significant reduction in risk for all confirmed hypoglycemia at the maintenance treatment period [estimated rate ratio (ERR) 0.81; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.72‒0.92; P = 0.001], nocturnal confirmed hypoglycemia at the entire (ERR 0.71; 95% CI 0.63‒0.80; P < 0.001) and maintenance treatment period (ERR 0.65; 95% CI 0.59‒0.71; P < 0.001), all irrespective of the pooled diabetic populations and follow-up durations. The differences in the rate of hypoglycemia were more pronounced in nocturnal period and maintenance period and in T2D than T1D patients. Degludec reduced the incidence of severe hypoglycemia in T2D [ERR 0.65; (0.52; 0.89); P = 0.005] but not T1D patients. HbA1c concentration was slightly higher in degludec over glargine but was not clinically relevant [estimated treatment difference (ETD) 0.03; 95% CI - 0.00 to 0.06%; P = 0.06]. Fasting plasma glucose level was lower in degludec-treated patients (ETD - 0.28 mmol/L; 95% CI - 0.44 to - 0.11 mmol/L; P = 0.001). Several subgroup analyses showed largely consistent findings. The rates of adverse events including total mortality and cardiovascular events were not significantly different between two treatment strategies.

CONCLUSIONS

Insulin degludec appears to have better safety in reducing hypoglycemic events with similar efficacy compared with insulin glargine.

Identifying insulin treatment responders with a composite measure: beyond Hba1c < 7% in patients with type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVES

Many insulin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) do not reach hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) < 7%, but have clinically relevant HbA1c reductions. Using an integrated database (IDB) of 53 insulin lispro clinical trials and a real-world evidence (RWE) database of T2D patients initiating insulin therapy, an expanded HbA1c measure was used to identify responders to insulin therapy.

METHODS

Analysis included 4,908 patients (IDB) and 1,134 patients (RWE) with T2D treated with any insulin regimen with a baseline and ≥1 post-baseline HbA1c. Responders were defined as patients with endpoint HbA1c < 7% (cut point [CP]) and/or either ≥1% absolute (ABS) decrease, and/or ≥10% relative (REL) decrease in HbA1c from baseline. The percentage of responders with CP vs ABS and concordance between ABS and REL were calculated. As the ABS and REL measures were highly correlated (94%), the ABS measure was used to compare characteristics of responders and non-responders by age, diabetes duration, race/ethnicity, baseline HbA1c, and insulin regimen at 24 weeks.

RESULTS

In both databases, more responders were identified with ABS or REL (>62%) than CP (<41%). More ABS responders had a baseline HbA1c ≥ 9% and a shorter diabetes duration than non-responders. Basal insulin-treated patients in the IDB had 78.2% responders at 24 weeks, compared to 69.7% with basal/bolus or pre-mixed insulin (75.4%). Results were similar in the IDB and RWE.

CONCLUSION

Composite HbA1c measures identified more patients with clinically meaningful responses to therapy than the broadly accepted HbA1c < 7% and may be useful in assessing clinical trials, clinical care, and quality measures.

Observational Registry of Basal Insulin Treatment in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in China: Safety and Hypoglycemia Predictors

BACKGROUND

The Observational Registry of Basal Insulin Treatment (ORBIT) study evaluated the safety of basal insulin (BI) in real-world settings in China.

METHODS

We analyzed 9002 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) inadequately controlled with oral hypoglycemic agents from 8 geographic regions and 2 hospital tiers in China who initiated and maintained BI treatment. Body weight and hypoglycemic episodes were recorded at baseline and 3 and 6 months. Serious adverse events (SAEs) were recorded at 3 and 6 months.

RESULTS

Age, gender, inpatient/outpatient status, body mass index, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) at baseline and at the end of study, T2D duration, microvascular complications, BI type, combination with insulin secretagogues, self-monitoring of blood glucose frequency, and insulin dosage, all predicted hypoglycemia. BI use generally did not induce significant weight gain (0.02 kg); weight gain with insulin detemir (-0.30 kg) was less than that with neutral protamine Hagedorn (NPH) insulin (0.20 kg) or insulin glargine (0.05 kg). Overall, general hypoglycemia incidence (5.6% vs. 7.7%) and annual event rate (1.6 vs. 1.8) were similar before and after BI initiation, whereas a slight decrease was noted in severe hypoglycemia incidence (0.6%-0.3%) and frequency (0.05-0.03 events/patient-year). The general hypoglycemia rate was lowest with insulin glargine, whereas there was no significant difference in severe hypoglycemia among the three BI groups. Overall, 3.5% of patients had at least one SAE during the study. Most SAEs were found to be unrelated to BI treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Real-world BI use, particularly insulin detemir and glargine, was associated with only slight weight gain and low hypoglycemia risk in patients with T2D in China.

Improved Glycemic Control Achieved by Switching to Insulin Degludec in Insulin-Treated Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in a Real-World Setting: a Non-interventional, Retrospective Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION

Retrospective cohort study evaluating the clinical effectiveness of insulin degludec (IDeg) in insulin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes switching from other insulins to IDeg in a real-world setting.

METHODS

Data were drawn from the Maccabi Health Management Organization in Israel and included patients treated with IDeg between 1 September 2014 and 29 February 2016. Main inclusion criteria were age ≥18 years, diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, and treated with insulin for at least 1 year prior to IDeg initiation. HbA1c, insulin dose, body weight, and body mass index were recorded before and 90 and 180 days post-switch.

RESULTS

Of 211 eligible patients, 57% were male, mean age ± SD 62.2 ± 12.1 years, and diabetes duration >10 years. Switching to IDeg decreased HbA1c from a mean 8.8 ± 1.5% (73.0 ± 16.4 mmol/mol) baseline by 0.58 ± 1.0% (6.3 ± 10.9 mmol/mol) (p < 0.001). Baseline HbA1c of >8.5% (69.0 mmol/mol) and daily insulin dose of ≥50 U were associated with a greater reduction in HbA1c [1.0 ± 1.1% (10.9 ± 12.0 mmol/mol) and 1.2 ± 1.1% (13.1 ± 12.0 mmol/mol), respectively] compared with the total population. At 180 days post-switch, the mean daily basal insulin dose increased by 2 U compared with pre-switch. There was no significant change in body weight post-switch.

CONCLUSIONS

In a real-world setting, switching from another insulin to IDeg significantly improved glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes, without significant weight gain and with only a modest increase in insulin dose after IDeg initiation.

FUNDING

Novo Nordisk.

Comparative effectiveness and safety of different basal insulins in a real-world setting

AIMS

To compare glucose control and safety of different basal insulin therapies (BI, including Insulin NPH, glargine and detemir) in real-world clinical settings based on a large-scale registry study.

METHODS

In this multi-center 6-month prospective observational study, patients with type 2 diabetes (HbA1c ≥ 7%) who were uncontrolled by oral anti-diabetic drugs (OADs) and were willing to initiate BI therapy were enrolled from 209 hospitals within 8 regions of China. Type and dose of BI were at the physician's discretion and the patients' willingness. Interviews were conducted at 0 months (visit 1), 3 months (visit 2) and 6 months (visit 3). Outcomes included change in HbA1c, hypoglycemia rate and body weight from baseline at 6 months.

RESULTS

A total of 16 341 and 9002 subjects were involved in Intention-To-Treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analysis, respectively. After PS regression adjustment, ITT analysis showed that reduction in HbA1c in glargine (2.2% ± 2.1%) and detemir groups (2.2% ± 2.1%) was higher than that in the NPH group (2.0% ± 2.2%) (P < .01). The detemir group had the lowest weight gain (-0.1 ± 2.9 kg) compared with the glargine (+0.1 ± 3.0 kg) and NPH (+0.3 ± 3.1 kg) groups (P < .05). The glargine group had the lowest rate of minor hypoglycaemia, while there was no difference in severe hypoglycaemia among the 3 groups. The results observed in PP analyses were consistent with those in ITT analysis.

CONCLUSION

In a real-world clinical setting in China, treatment with long-acting insulin analogues was associated with better glycaemic control, as well as less hypoglycaemia and weight gain than treatment with NPH insulin in type 2 diabetes patients. However, the clinical relevance of these observations must be interpreted with caution.

Supporting insulin initiation in type 2 diabetes in primary care: results of the Stepping Up pragmatic cluster randomised controlled clinical trial

Objective To compare the effectiveness of a novel model of care ("Stepping Up") with usual primary care in normalising insulin initiation for type 2 diabetes, leading to improved glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels.Design Cluster randomised controlled trial.Setting Primary care practices in Victoria, Australia, with a practice nurse and at least one consenting eligible patient (HbA1c ≥7.5% with maximal oral treatment).Participants 266 patients with type 2 diabetes and 74 practices (mean cluster size 4 (range 1-8) patients), followed up for 12 months.Intervention The Stepping Up model of care intervention involved theory based change in practice systems and reorientation of the roles of health professionals in the primary care diabetes team. The core components were an enhanced role for the practice nurse in leading insulin initiation and mentoring by a registered nurse with diabetes educator credentials.Main outcome measures The primary endpoint was change in HbA1c. Secondary endpoints included the proportion of participants who transitioned to insulin, proportion who achieved target HbA1c, and a change in depressive symptoms (patient health questionnaire, PHQ-9), diabetes specific distress (problem areas in diabetes scale, PAID), and generic health status (assessment of quality of life instrument, AQoL-8D).Results HbA1c improved in both arms, with a clinically significant between arm difference (mean difference -0.6%, 95% confidence interval -0.9% to -0.3%), favouring the intervention. At 12 months, in intervention practices, 105/151 (70%) of participants had started insulin, compared with 25/115 (22%) in control practices (odds ratio 8.3, 95% confidence interval 4.5 to 15.4, P<0.001). Target HbA1c (≤7% (53 mmol/mol)) was achieved by 54 (36%) intervention participants and 22 (19%) control participants (odds ratio 2.2, 1.2 to 4.3, P=0.02). Depressive symptoms did not worsen at 12 months (PHQ-9: -1.1 (3.5) v -0.1 (2.9), P=0.05). A statistically significant difference was found between arms in the mean change in mental health (AQoL mental component summary: 0.04 (SD 0.16) v -0.002 (0.13), mean difference 0.04 (95% confidence interval 0.002 to 0.08), P=0.04), favouring the intervention, but no significant difference in physical health (AQoL physical component summary: 0.03 (0.15) v 0.02 (0.13)) nor diabetes specific distress (5.6 (15.5) v -2.4 (15.4)). No severe hypoglycaemia events were reported.Conclusions The Stepping Up model of care was associated with increased insulin initiation rates in primary care, and improvements in glycated haemoglobin without worsening emotional wellbeing.Trial registration Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12612001028897.

Observational Registry of Basal Insulin Treatment (ORBIT) in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Uncontrolled by Oral Hypoglycemic Agents in China--Study Design and Baseline Characteristics

BACKGROUND

Efficacy of basal insulin (BI) has been well studied by randomized controlled trials, but the impact of BI on glycemic control in the real world has not been well documented. The Observational Registry for BI Treatment (ORBIT) study is designed to evaluate the real-life outcomes of BI in China.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Participants with type 2 diabetes (n=19,894), from December 2011 to June 2013, inadequately controlled on oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs) were initiated on BI treatment from 209 hospitals in all the eight regions in Mainland China. Data for each patient on use of OHAs and insulin (type and dose), glycemic control, hypoglycemic episodes, body weight, quality of life, and costs were collected at baseline and 3 and 6 months.

RESULTS

For the 18,995 participants who were eligible for baseline analysis, mean±SD age was 55.4±10.4 years, with 52.5% males. The mean duration of diabetes was 6.4±5.3 years and was positively associated with the economic level of eight regions. Before initiation of BI, patients had a mean hemoglobin A1c level of 9.6±2.0% with a fasting plasma glucose level of 11.7±4.0 mmol/L. Of the patients, 35.5% had some diabetes complications. Metformin, sulfonylureas, and α-glycosidase inhibitors were the most commonly used OHAs. The proportions of patients using one, two, or more than two OHAs before BI initiation were 48.4%, 42.7%, and 8.9%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

To the best of our knowledge, the ORBIT study is the largest registry study to evaluate glycemic outcomes and safety of BI in real-world China. Baseline data indicate delays in initiation of BI in the majority of patients with type 2 diabetes in China.

Can a fixed-ratio combination of insulin degludec and liraglutide help Type 2 diabetes patients to optimize glycemic control across the day?

'IDegLira' combines insulin degludec (IDeg) with the glucagon-like peptide-1 analog liraglutide (Lira) at a ratio of 1 unit IDeg to 0.036 mg Lira. The two components have complementary therapeutic actions for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that combinations of basal insulin with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists can be clinically successful, lowering elevated blood glucose with a low risk of hypoglycemia and weight gain. IDegLira is being assessed in a series of studies (two already published), which provide insights into its clinical utility in previously insulin-naive patients and those failing to achieve good glycemic control on a basal-only insulin regimen. This article critically examines the available data to assess the product's likely clinical profile.

Noncoding RNA in age-related cardiovascular diseases

Eukaryotic gene expression is tightly regulated transcriptionally and post-transcriptionally by a host of noncoding (nc)RNAs. The best-studied class of short ncRNAs, microRNAs, mainly repress gene expression post-transcriptionally. Long noncoding (lnc)RNAs, which comprise RNAs differing widely in length and function, can regulate gene transcription as well as post-transcriptional mRNA fate. Collectively, ncRNAs affect a broad range of age-related physiologic deteriorations and pathologies, including reduced cardiovascular vigor and age-associated cardiovascular disease. This review presents an update of our understanding of regulatory ncRNAs contributing to cardiovascular health and disease as a function of advancing age. We will discuss (1) regulatory ncRNAs that control aging-associated cardiovascular homeostasis and disease, (2) the concepts, approaches, and methodologies needed to study regulatory ncRNAs in cardiovascular aging and (3) the challenges and opportunities that age-associated regulatory ncRNAs present in cardiovascular physiology and pathology. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "CV Aging".

Predictors of HbA1c over 4 years in people with type 2 diabetes starting insulin therapies: The CREDIT study

AIMS

To identify factors associated with glucose control, as measured by HbA1c over 4 years, in people with type 2 diabetes starting insulin therapy.

METHODS

CREDIT, an observational cohort study, collected data semi-annually over 4 years, on people with type 2 diabetes starting any insulin, in 311 centres in 12 countries; 2803 people had data on HbA1c during follow-up. Multivariable backward regression analysis selected characteristics associated with glycaemic control from a limited number of candidate variables.

RESULTS

Before starting insulin therapy, HbA1c was 9.3% (78 mmol/mol) and decreased to 7.6% (60 mmol/mol) after 1 year, and changed little after that. Insulin dose increased from 0.21 U/kg to 0.36 U/kg at 1 year, and then by 0.10 U/kg over the next 3 years. Body weight increased by 2.0 kg in the first year and increased little thereafter. Poorer glycaemic control over the 4 years was mainly determined by the HbA1c before starting therapy, after accounting for the other statistically significant associated variables in multivariable analysis: higher BMI, younger age, longer diabetes duration, more glucose-lowering drugs, using basal insulin alone, higher insulin dose and female sex. At 4 years, a higher current insulin dose was the characteristic most strongly associated with a higher concurrent HbA1c.

CONCLUSIONS

HbA1c at the start of insulin therapy was the characteristic most predictive of later HbA1c, after accounting for other variables associated with HbA1c. This may provide some justification for earlier insulin introduction to improve glucose control to target.

Clinical and cost-effectiveness of insulin degludec: from clinical trials to clinical practice

The increasing prevalence of diabetes presents one of the greatest challenges to healthcare provision in modern times, with the cost of treating diabetes and its related complications representing a significant proportion of healthcare expenditure. In recent years, many new therapeutic entities have been developed with the aim of improving glycemic control, and thus slowing the development of micro- and macrovascular complications. Insulin degludec is a new-generation basal insulin analog with an ultra-long duration of action and low day-to-day and hour-to-hour intrapatient variability in blood glucose-lowering action. In this review, we consider evidence from clinical trials and real-world studies demonstrating the clinical benefits and cost-effectiveness of insulin degludec and its potential for improving patient care.