Hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetes: current controversies and changing practices

Self-reported hypoglycaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with insulin in the Hoorn Diabetes Care System Cohort, the Netherlands: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Our aim was to study the prevalence of self-reported hypoglycaemic sensations and its association with mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) treated with insulin in usual care.

METHODS

Demographics, clinical characteristics and mortality data were obtained from 1667 patients with T2D treated with insulin in the Hoorn Diabetes Care System Cohort (DCS), a prospective cohort study using clinical care data. Self-reported hypoglycaemic sensations were defined as either mild: events not requiring help; or severe: events requiring help from others (either medical assistance or assistance of others). The association between hypoglycaemic sensations and mortality was analysed using logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

At baseline, 981 patients (59%) reported no hypoglycaemic sensations in the past year, 612 (37%) reported only mild sensations and 74 (4%) reported severe hypoglycaemic sensations. During a median follow-up of 1.9 years, 98 patients (5.9%) died. Reporting only mild hypoglycaemic sensations was associated with a lower mortality risk (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.80), while reporting severe sensations was not significantly associated with mortality (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.33 to 1.80), compared with reporting no hypoglycaemic sensations, and adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics. Sensitivity analyses showed an OR of 1.38 (95% CI 0.31 to 6.11) for patients reporting severe hypoglycaemic sensations requiring medical assistance.

CONCLUSIONS

Self-reported hypoglycaemic sensations are highly prevalent in our insulin-treated T2D population. Patients reporting hypoglycaemic sensations not requiring medical assistance did not have an increased risk of mortality, suggesting that these sensations are not an indicator of increased short-term mortality risk in patients with T2D.

Insulin degludec early clinical experience: does the promise from the clinical trials translate into clinical practice--a case-based evaluation

BACKGROUND

Clinical experience of patients is an additional source of information that can inform prescribing decisions for new therapies in practice. In diabetes, for example, patients with recurrent hypoglycemia may be excluded from trials conducted for regulatory purposes. Using insulin degludec (IDeg), a new basal insulin with an ultra-long duration of action as an example, an interim analysis is presented describing whether the decision to prescribe IDeg to patients experiencing treatment-limiting problems on their existing insulin regimes represented good clinical and economic value.

METHODS

Records from the first 51 consecutive patients with diabetes (35 type 1 [T1D] and 16 type 2 [T2D]) switching to insulin degludec from either insulin glargine (IGlar) or insulin detemir (IDet), mostly due to problems with hypoglycemia (39/51, 76.5%), were reviewed at up to 37 weeks. Patients indicated frequency of hypoglycemia and completed a disease-specific questionnaire reporting six measures of confidence and treatment satisfaction. For the largest group of exposed patents, the T1D module of the IMS Core Diabetes Model (CDM) was used to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the treatment decision.

FINDINGS

HbA1c decreased by 0.5 ± 0.3% points and 0.7 ± 0.3% points for T1D and T2D, respectively. Hypoglycemic events decreased by >90%. Combined mean scores were ≥ 3.7 (1 = much worse, 3 = no change, 5 = much improved) for all six satisfaction and confidence items. In T1D, the treatment decision was highly cost-effective in the CDM lifetime analysis. Even when excluding benefits beyond hypoglycemia reduction, predicted cost per quality-adjusted life-year for IDeg vs IGlar/IDet was £10,754.

INTERPRETATION

These data illustrate the complementary nature of clinical trial and practice data when evaluating the value of therapeutic innovations in diabetes care. There were reductions in patient-reported hypoglycemia, reduced HbA1c, and improved treatment satisfaction in relation to the decision to prescribe IDeg. Initial health economic evaluation suggested that the decision to prescribe IDeg in this phenotypic group of T1D patients represented good value for money.

Association between 7 years of intensive treatment of type 1 diabetes and long-term mortality

IMPORTANCE

Whether mortality in type 1 diabetes mellitus is affected following intensive glycemic therapy has not been established.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether mortality differed between the original intensive and conventional treatment groups in the long-term follow-up of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) cohort.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

After the DCCT (1983-1993) ended, participants were followed up in a multisite (27 US and Canadian academic clinical centers) observational study (Epidemiology of Diabetes Control and Complications [EDIC]) until December 31, 2012. Participants were 1441 healthy volunteers with diabetes mellitus who, at baseline, were 13 to 39 years of age with 1 to 15 years of diabetes duration and no or early microvascular complications, and without hypertension, preexisting cardiovascular disease, or other potentially life-threatening disease.

INTERVENTIONS AND EXPOSURES

During the clinical trial, participants were randomly assigned to receive intensive therapy (n = 711) aimed at achieving glycemia as close to the nondiabetic range as safely possible, or conventional therapy (n = 730) with the goal of avoiding symptomatic hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. At the end of the DCCT, after a mean of 6.5 years, intensive therapy was taught and recommended to all participants and diabetes care was returned to personal physicians.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Total and cause-specific mortality was assessed through annual contact with family and friends and through records over 27 years' mean follow-up.

RESULTS

Vital status was ascertained for 1429 (99.2%) participants. There were 107 deaths, 64 in the conventional and 43 in the intensive group. The absolute risk difference was -109 per 100,000 patient-years (95% CI, -218 to -1), with lower all-cause mortality risk in the intensive therapy group (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.67 [95% CI, 0.46-0.99]; P = .045). Primary causes of death were cardiovascular disease (24 deaths; 22.4%), cancer (21 deaths; 19.6%), acute diabetes complications (19 deaths; 17.8%), and accidents or suicide (18 deaths; 16.8%). Higher levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were associated with all-cause mortality (HR = 1.56 [95% CI, 1.35-1.81 per 10% relative increase in HbA1c]; P < .001), as well as the development of albuminuria (HR = 2.20 [95% CI, 1.46-3.31]; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

After a mean of 27 years' follow-up of patients with type 1 diabetes, 6.5 years of initial intensive diabetes therapy was associated with a modestly lower all-cause mortality rate when compared with conventional therapy.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

clinicaltrials.gov Identifiers: NCT00360815 and NCT00360893.

Identifying factors associated with hypoglycemia-related hospitalizations among elderly patients with T2DM in the US: a novel approach using influential variable analysis

OBJECTIVE

Healthcare providers managing older patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) face a complex milieu of medical conditions and comorbidities, which increase the risk of unintended treatment consequences. The objective of this study was to understand factors associated with hypoglycemia-related hospitalizations among adults with T2DM with an emphasis on older patients.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A large retrospective cohort study using claims data from the United States was undertaken identifying actively registered patients diagnosed with T2DM and at least one diabetes medication prescription.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The main outcomes included hypoglycemia-related hospitalization and frequency of comorbidities.

RESULTS

Of patients with T2DM and hospitalization records (n = 887,182), 52.3% were male and 30.7% were aged ≥65 years. At baseline, the proportion of patients taking metformin was 52.4%, insulin 7.3%, and sulfonylurea 26.4%. Among those with diabetes-related hospitalizations, the incidence of hospitalization-related hypoglycemia in patients ≥65 years of age was greater than in patients <65 years of age (0.59 compared to 0.16 per 1000 person years). Using boosted regression tree modeling, age (older vs. younger), sulfonylurea use, insulin use, and renal disease were variables most associated with predicting hospitalizations associated with hypoglycemia. Elderly patients prescribed both insulin and sulfonylurea were most likely to experience hypoglycemia-related hospitalizations (odds ratio = 4.7; 95% CI 3.7-6.1).

CONCLUSIONS

Older patients using both insulin and sulfonylurea were most likely to experience a hypoglycemia-related hospitalization. Age, sulfonylurea use, insulin use, renal disease, a history of hypoglycemia-related hospitalization and general hospitalization were the leading variables associated with hypoglycemia-related hospitalization. Glucagon-like peptide and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 medication use was not significantly associated with hypoglycemia-related hospitalizations. The strength of this analysis, compared to similar studies, lies in the large and generalizable sample size and statistical methodology, which control for the interdependence of predictive variables. Limitations include lack of information, such as dietary intake and exercise habits, which are known to influence the rate of hypoglycemia in certain patients. Given the frequency of use of insulin and sulfonylurea in a population at risk for hypoglycemia (older patients with diabetes), care should be taken when balancing cost and efficacy against safety and increased risk of hospitalization due to hypoglycemia.

Low BDNF is associated with cognitive deficits in patients with type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE

Studies suggest that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an essential role in regulating memory-related neuroplasticity in the hippocampus. Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is associated with impairment in many domains of cognitive function which may result from reduced BDNF; however, the correlation of BDNF with cognitive impairment in T2DM has not been investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We compared 208 patients with T2DM to 212 normal controls on serum BDNF and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS).

RESULTS

Serum BDNF levels were significantly decreased in T2DM patients compared to normal controls (p < 0.001). The total score and nearly all indexes (all p < 0.01) except for attention and visuospatial/constructional indexes (all p > 0.05) of RBANS were markedly lower in T2DM than controls. There was a positive relationship between serum BDNF and delayed memory in patients with T2DM.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that BDNF may play a role in the pathophysiology of cognitive deficits, especially delayed memory in T2DM.