Insulin and quality of life: Which insulin is best?

This study compared health-related quality of life after two different long-acting forms of insulin.

Patients with type 2 diabetes either do not make or are not sensitive to insulin, the hormone needed to break down glucose (sugar) taken in from food. Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease, and eventually most patients will need insulin therapy. However, adding this treatment can be stressful for patients for many reasons, including fear of injections and increased risk of hypoglycemia (dangerously low blood glucose). This stress can decrease patients’ health-related quality of life.

Insulin degludec (Tresiba) is a new form of basal (long-acting) insulin, which can be effective for longer than 42 hours following injection. Studies have shown that insulin deguldec lowers fasting blood glucose (the glucose level following a period without food or drink) more than other forms of long-acting insulin, with severe hypoglycemia rates 69% lower. These benefits should increase health-related quality of life.

The current study examined the health-related quality of life in 659 patients who took part in a study comparing insulin deguldec (505 patients) to another long-acting insulin, insulin glargine (Lantus, 154 patients). Health-related quality of life was measured at the start and the end of the study (105 weeks from the start), using a questionnaire covering topics related to physical and mental health.

At 105 weeks, patients treated with insulin degludec showed a significant improvement in scores related to physical functioning and bodily pain compared to patients treated with insulin glargine. No other differences in physical or mental health were found between the two groups.

This study concluded that treatment with insulin degludec led to improvements in physical functioning and pain compared to treatment with insulin glargine.