In a nutshell
In this study researchers examined two types of insulin; insulin degludec (triseba; IDeg) and insulin glargine (lantus; IGlar). This study compared the quality of life (QOL) as reported by patients between users of these two drugs.
Some background
Insulin is often used to manage blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. However, despite treatment, diabetes can still severely reduce a patients’ QOL. A new type of insulin, IDeg, is available for diabetic patients. IDeg has been reported to provide better control over blood sugar levels, however, the QOL of patients on IDeg has not yet been thoroughly examined. To asses QOL, patients receiving each drug were asked to answer questions regarding their physical abilities, general health, levels of pain, mental health and emotional state.
Methods & findings
Researchers compared 4,001 patients from 6 different clinical trials comparing IDeg to IGlar. 5 trials were conducted including type 2 diabetic patients and 1 trial was conducted involving type 1 diabetic patients. Overall, patients who were treated with IDeg had slightly, but significant, better QOL scores than patients treated with IGlar. However, patient gender, social status and age also significantly impacted QOL scores.
The bottom line
IDeg results in a modest, but significant, improvement in QOL for diabetic patients compared to IGlar.
The fine print
This study did not compare the impact of each drug between type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients. In addition, several of the authors of this paper have received compensation from Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer and distributer of IDeg (triseba).
What’s next?
Consult with your physician regarding the benefits of insulin degludec in the management of diabetes.
Published By :
Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism
Date :
Jun 26, 2013
