Hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes using concomitant exenatide BID and long-acting insulin therapy

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to examine the frequency of hypoglycemia among patients with type 2 diabetes who had concomitantly used exenatide BID (exenatide) and long-acting insulin and continued this combination vs those who continued long-acting insulin alone.

METHODS

Retrospective analyses, using a large managed care database, were used to estimate the frequency of hypoglycemia (episodes/patient/6 months) for patients who concomitantly used exenatide and long-acting insulin during a 6-month follow-up period.

RESULTS

From among 2082 patients on concomitant exenatide and long-acting insulin, those who continued this combination (n=472) had a lower frequency of hypoglycemia compared to those who remained on long-acting insulin alone (n=312) (0.03 ± 1.9 vs 0.10 ± 1.01 [episodes/patient/6 months]; p<0.0001).

LIMITATIONS

Only hypoglycemia that required medical intervention (coded for hypoglycemia) was captured. The study could not evaluate any association between insulin dose titration and hypoglycemia or examine other outcomes such as HbA1c, weight, and body mass index, due to lack of data availability.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who concomitantly used exenatide BID and long-acting insulin experienced a lower rate of hypoglycemia.