Insulin pump use decreased all-cause mortality, fatal CVD risk

The use of insulin pumps resulted in a 29% reduction in all-cause mortality and a 43% reduction in the risk for fatal cardiovascular disease vs. multiple daily insulin injections, according research from the 50th European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting.

Soffia Gudbjörnsdottir, MD, PhD, of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, and colleagues evaluated 2,441 patients with type 1 diabetes using an insulin pump and 15,727 patients with type 1 diabetes using multiple daily insulin injections to determine the effect of each treatment type on long-term risk for CVD and mortality. Patients were followed for a mean study period of nearly 7 years.

Soffia Gudbjörnsdottir

Researchers found that patients using insulin pumps were less likely to die of any cause (HR=0.71; 95% CI, 0.57-0.89), develop fatal CVD (HR=0.56; 95% CI, 0.39-0.82) and develop fatal or nonfatal coronary heart disease (HR=0.82; 95% CI, 0.66-1.01) compared with daily injection patients

“The conclusion is that this is a large observational study that shows that treatment with insulin pump in this group of patients, during this period of time, is associated with a lower risk of fatal CVD and lower all-cause mortality compared to treatment with injections,” Gudbjörnsdottir said during her presentation.

Researchers added that “it is important to note that the patients treated with pump therapy in this study were selected from the total patients with type 1 diabetes because they were able and willing to manage use of a pump.”

For more information:

Gudbjörnsdottir S. Abstract #196. Presented at: 50th EASD Annual Meeting; Sept. 16-19, 2014; Vienna.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.