CONCENTRATED INSULINS: CLINICAL UPDATE OF THERAPEUTIC OPTIONS

Insulin's Legacy: A Century of Breakthroughs and Innovation

The clinical use of insulin to treat diabetes started just over 100 years ago. The past century has witnessed remarkable innovations in insulin therapy, evolving from animal organ extracts to bioengineered human insulins with ultra-rapid onset or prolonged action. Insulin delivery systems have also progressed to current automated insulin delivery systems. In this review, we discuss the history of insulin and the pharmacology and therapeutic indications for a variety of available insulins, especially newer analog insulins. We highlight recent advances in insulin pump therapy and review evidence on the therapeutic benefits of automated insulin delivery. As with any form of progress, there have been setbacks, and insulin has recently faced an affordability crisis. We address the challenges of insulin accessibility, along with recent progress to improve insulin affordability. Finally, we mention research on glucose-responsive insulins and hepato-preferential insulins that are likely to shape the future of insulin therapy.

The Nuances Surrounding Insulin Prescribing

Knowledge of and expertise in insulin prescribing is crucial for health care providers who care for people with diabetes. This article reviews the available insulin preparations, how they are packaged, and nuances related to storage and use that inform the prescribing of this life-saving medication for patients. Insulin prescribing that is done correctly will save time and reduce problematic errors that could put patients at risk.

American Association of Clinical Endocrinology Clinical Practice Guideline: Developing a Diabetes Mellitus Comprehensive Care Plan-2022 Update

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this clinical practice guideline is to provide updated and new evidence-based recommendations for the comprehensive care of persons with diabetes mellitus to clinicians, diabetes-care teams, other health care professionals and stakeholders, and individuals with diabetes and their caregivers.

METHODS

The American Association of Clinical Endocrinology selected a task force of medical experts and staff who updated and assessed clinical questions and recommendations from the prior 2015 version of this guideline and conducted literature searches for relevant scientific papers published from January 1, 2015, through May 15, 2022. Selected studies from results of literature searches composed the evidence base to update 2015 recommendations as well as to develop new recommendations based on review of clinical evidence, current practice, expertise, and consensus, according to established American Association of Clinical Endocrinology protocol for guideline development.

RESULTS

This guideline includes 170 updated and new evidence-based clinical practice recommendations for the comprehensive care of persons with diabetes. Recommendations are divided into four sections: (1) screening, diagnosis, glycemic targets, and glycemic monitoring; (2) comorbidities and complications, including obesity and management with lifestyle, nutrition, and bariatric surgery, hypertension, dyslipidemia, retinopathy, neuropathy, diabetic kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease; (3) management of prediabetes, type 2 diabetes with antihyperglycemic pharmacotherapy and glycemic targets, type 1 diabetes with insulin therapy, hypoglycemia, hospitalized persons, and women with diabetes in pregnancy; (4) education and new topics regarding diabetes and infertility, nutritional supplements, secondary diabetes, social determinants of health, and virtual care, as well as updated recommendations on cancer risk, nonpharmacologic components of pediatric care plans, depression, education and team approach, occupational risk, role of sleep medicine, and vaccinations in persons with diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

This updated clinical practice guideline provides evidence-based recommendations to assist with person-centered, team-based clinical decision-making to improve the care of persons with diabetes mellitus.

Practical guidance on the initiation, titration, and switching of basal insulins: a narrative review for primary care

Many patients with type 2 diabetes will ultimately require the inclusion of basal insulin in their treatment regimen. Since most people with type 2 diabetes are managed in the community, it is important that primary care providers understand and correctly manage the initiation and titration of basal insulins, and help patients to self-manage insulin injections. Newer, long-acting basal insulins provide greater stability and flexibility than older preparations and improved delivery systems. Basal insulin is usually initiated at a conservative dose of 10 units/day or 0.1-0.2 units/kg/day, then titrated thereafter over several weeks or months, based on patients' self-measured fasting plasma glucose, to achieve an individualized target (usually 80-130 mg/dL). Through a shared decision-making process, confirmation of appropriate goals and titration methods should be established, including provisions for events that might alter scheduled titration (e.g. travel, dietary change, illness, hospitalization, etc.). Although switching between basal insulins is usually easily accomplished, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic differences between formulations require clinicians to provide explicit guidance to patients. Basal insulin is effective long-term, but overbasalization (continuing to escalate dose without a meaningful reduction in fasting plasma glucose) should be avoided.Key messagesPrimary care providers often initiate basal insulin for people with type 2 diabetes.Basal insulin is recommended to be initiated at 10 units/day or 0.1-0.2 units/kg/day, and doses must be titrated to agreed fasting plasma glucose goals, usually 80-130 mg/dL. A simple rule is to gradually increase the initial dose by 1 unit per day (NPH, insulin detemir, and glargine 100 units/mL) or 2-4 units once or twice per week (NPH, insulin detemir, glargine 100 and 300 units/mL, and degludec) until FPG levels remain consistently within the target range. If warranted, switching between basal insulins can be done using simple regimens.The dose of basal insulin should be increased as required up to approximately 0.5-1.0 units/kg/day in some cases. Overbasalization (continuing to escalate dose without a meaningful reduction in fasting plasma glucose) is not recommended; rather re-evaluation of individual therapy, including consideration of more concentrated basal insulin preparations and/or short-acting prandial insulin as well as other glucose-lowering therapies, is suggested.