In a new study from UT Southwestern, researchers found that treating people with Type 2 diabetes with a new once-a-week injectable insulin therapy proved to be safe and as effective as daily insulin injections.
The findings suggest that the once-weekly treatment could provide a convenient alternative to the burden of daily insulin shots for diabetes patients.
Starting and maintaining insulin treatment remains a challenge for millions of patients worldwide with Type 2 diabetes.
Fear of injections and the inconvenience and burden of injectable therapy contribute to the barriers against insulin therapy initiation and adherence.
The effectiveness and safety of ongoing insulin treatment are also highly dependent on other factors, such as the accuracy of dosages, timing, and glycemic targets.
In the study, the team tested 205 patients from seven countries (the U.S., Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Spain).
The clinical trial consisted of a two-week screening period, 16 weeks of treatment, and a five-week follow-up to evaluate three different ways to adjust and optimize the insulin dose and determine which one presented the best balance between effectively lowering glucose while minimizing low-glucose events.
The researchers determined that starting with a higher first dose—called a loading dose—allowed patients to reach their optimal glucose target faster.
They say weekly insulin is a game-changer that will decrease the treatment burden for patients while also improving compliance.
This treatment will also decrease the burden on those who care for patients with diabetes requiring insulin.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about these healthy foods may help lower risk of type 2 diabetes and findings of the real cause of type 2 diabetes, and how to reverse it.
For more information about diabetes treatment and prevention, please see recent studies about this type of exercise may help control diabetes in obese people and results showing that this drug may reduce risk of kidney failure in people with diabetes.
The study is published in Diabetes Care. One author of the study is Ildiko Lingvay, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.C.S.
Copyright © 2021 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
