Old Long-Acting Insulin as Good as Newer Versions

Filed in archive Developments , Treatment on April 24, 2007

Type 2 diabetics in need of insulin take once-a-day insulin for longer-lasting or "basal" control of blood sugar.

The current gold standard for basal insulin - NPH - is the old type of long-acting type of insulin while the newer ones are insulin analogues such as insulin glargine (trade name Lantus®) and insulin detemir (Levemir®).

A recent systematic review revealed that an older type of long-acting insulin is as effective in the treatment of type 2 diabetes as newer and more expensive kinds.

While the newer ones are marketed as an improvement to NPH, the new review found that Lantus® and Levemir® were almost identical to NPH in lowering levels of hemoglobin A1c - a widely used measure of long-term blood glucose control.

According to John Buse, M.D., president-elect of the American Diabetes Association:

"For the patient the good news is that the older medication works very well. In most people it will lower blood sugar with little risk of hypoglycemia. The review also shows that Lantus and Levemir had fewer problems with low blood sugar at night, giving greater security for those who experience this while sleeping."

The said review appears in the current issue of The Cochrane Library.

So, what kind of insulin are you using?

Read the full report at CFAH.