Glycemic control improved after switch from oral antidiabetic drugs to BIAsp 30

Initiating insulin therapy with insulin aspart 30/70 (BIAsp 30) improved glycemic control in insulin-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes who had poor glycemic control with oral antidiabetic drugs, according to new data.

The data from a subanalysis of the IMPROVE study — a 26-week open-label, nonrandomized, observational study (n=52,419) — demonstrated a reduction in the rate of major hypoglycemic events, and more than half of patients reported being satisfied with the use of BIAsp 30. Researchers also reported improvements in glycemic control with BIAsp 30 alone compared with BIAsp 30 and oral antidiabetic drugs combined.

Researchers evaluated 29,160 insulin-naive patients from IMPROVE in the subanalysis. The patients had diabetes for a mean 7.3 years, and baseline HbA1c was 9.24%.

After all meals, the researchers observed reductions in HbA1c (–2.12%), fasting blood glucose (–4.7 mmol/L) and postprandial blood glucose (–5.27 mmol/L; P<.0001 for all). Nearly 40% (39.2%) of patients achieved HbA1c <7% without hypoglycemia.

The researchers noted that glycemic control was better in patients treated with BIAsp 30 twice daily at baseline and at final visit or twice daily at baseline and three times daily at the final visit. Although the rate of major hypoglycemic events decreased, the rate of minor hypoglycemic events increased.

At baseline, 10.2% of patients reported being satisfied with BIAsp 30 treatment. This number increased to 59.7% of patients reportedly being satisfied at the final visit.

Wenying Y. Curr Res Med Opin. 2009;25:2643-2654.