Glycemic Control in Adult Type 1 Diabetes Patients with Insulin Glargine, Insulin Detemir, or Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion in Daily Practice

Canadian Real-World Outcomes of Omnipod Initiation in People with Type 1 Diabetes (COPPER study): Evidence from the LMC Diabetes Registry

AIMS

To investigate real-world clinical outcomes in adults with type 1 diabetes who initiated the Omnipod Insulin Management System (Insulet Corp., Acton, MA, USA) compared to a matched cohort who maintained multiple daily injection therapy.

METHODS

This retrospective observational study used data from the Canadian LMC Diabetes Registry. Adults with type 1 diabetes who switched from multiple daily injections to the Omnipod system as usual standard of care between January 2011 and April 2019 were matched to a cohort of adults with type 1 diabetes who maintained multiple daily injection therapy, using propensity-score matching. The primary outcome was change in HbA_1c at 3- to 6-month follow-up.

RESULTS

Propensity-score matching resulted in a final analytical cohort of 286 individuals (143/cohort). HbA_1c in the Omnipod cohort was reduced by a mean ± sd of -3 ± 10 mmol/mol (-0.2 ± 1.0%; P = 0.005) with no change in the MDI cohort [0 ± 10 mmol/mol (0.0 ± 1.0%); P = 0.74]. HbA_1c change was seen only in persons with baseline HbA_1c ≥75 mmol/mol (≥9.0%) [Omnipod cohort: -15 ± 12 mmol/mol (-1.4 ± 1.1%); P < 0.001] with a between-treatment difference [mean (95% CI)] of -12 (-18, -6) mmol/mol [-1.1 (-1.6, -0.5) %, P < 0.001]. The median total daily dose of insulin was lower following Omnipod initiation (baseline 0.63 U/kg vs follow-up 0.53 U/kg; P < 0.001), with no change in the MDI cohort (baseline 0.68 U/kg vs follow-up 0.67 U/kg; P = 0.23).

CONCLUSIONS

Adults with type 1 diabetes who initiated use of the Omnipod system in a real-world clinical setting had lower HbA_1c and total daily dose of insulin at 3- to 6-month follow-up compared to a matched cohort of adults who maintained multiple daily injection therapy. A treatment difference in HbA_1c change was seen only in people with baseline HbA_1c ≥ 75 mmol/mol (9.0%). (Clinical trials registration: NCT04226378).

Insulin Pump Therapy

BACKGROUND

Advances in pump technology have increased the popularity of this treatment modality among patients with type 1 diabetes and recently also among patients with type 2 diabetes.

AREAS OF UNCERTAINTY

Four decades after the incorporation of the insulin pump in clinical use, questions regarding its efficacy, occurrence rate of short-term complications as hypoglycemia and diabetes ketoacidosis, timing of pump initiation, and selected populations for use remain unanswered.

DATA SOURCES

A review of the literature was performed using the PubMed database to identify all articles published up till December 2018, with the search terms including insulin pump therapy/continuous subcutaneous insulin delivery. The Cochrane database was searched for meta-analysis evaluating controlled randomized trials. Consensuses guidelines published by the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes, American Diabetes Association, and Advanced Technologies and Treatments for Diabetes year books were additionally reviewed for relevant cited articles.

THERAPEUTIC ADVANCES

Insulin pump therapy offers flexible management of diabetes. It enables adjustment of basal insulin to daily requirements and circadian needs, offers more precise treatment for meals and physical activity, and, when integrated with continuous glucose monitoring, allows glucose responsive insulin delivery. The ability to download and transmit data for analysis allow for treatment optimization. Newer pumps are simple to operate and increase user experience. Studies support the efficacy of pump therapy in improving glycemic control and reducing the occurrence of hypoglycemia without increasing episodes of diabetes ketoacidosis. They also improve quality of life. Recent evidence suggests a role for pump therapy in reducing microvascular and macrovascular diabetes-related complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Insulin pump therapy appears to be effective and safe in people with T1D regardless of age. Future advancements will include incorporation of closed loop and various decision support systems to aid and improve metabolic control and quality of life.