Insulin lispro: experience in a private practice setting

• Published in: Medical journal of Australia Vol. 170; no. 8; p. 364
• Main Author: Stocks, A E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia 19.04.1999
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analysis of Variance; Blood Glucose - analysis; Body Weight; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - drug therapy; Female; Glycated Hemoglobin A - analysis; Humans; Hypoglycemia - etiology; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; Insulin - analogs & derivatives; Insulin - therapeutic use; Insulin Lispro; Male; Middle Aged; Patient Dropouts; Patient Satisfaction; Surveys and Questionnaires; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0025-729X
• DOI: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1999.tb139167.x

To assess the benefits (or otherwise) of changing patients with unstable type 1 diabetes to insulin lispro (Humalog, Aza Research). 150 patients with type 1 diabetes treated in a private metropolitan physician practice. Glycohaemoglobin (%HbA1c) value; frequency of hypoglycaemia; patients' perceptions of the two regimens. 125 of 150 patients completed the study; 12 (8%) withdrew because they were dissatisfied with lispro. Including these 12 patients, 80/137 patients (58%) felt better physically and 98 (72%) were more satisfied with treatment with lispro. Of the 125 patients who completed the study, 65 (52%) achieved lower HbA1c values, with 22 (18%) experiencing a fall of 1% or more; 78 patients (62%) noted less daytime hypoglycaemia and 103 (82%) experienced less nocturnal hypoglycaemia. Thirty-nine patients (31%) with less daytime hypoglycaemia and 52 (42%) with less nocturnal hypoglycaemia also experienced a fall of more than 0.2% in HbA1c value (mean, 1.0%; range, 0.3%-3.2%). There was no change in body weight or in hypoglycaemia unawareness. Many patients with unstable type 1 diabetes, when changed to insulin lispro, experience significant clinical and biochemical benefits.