Treatment satisfaction and quality of life with insulin glargine plus insulin lispro compared with NPH insulin plus unmodified human insulin in individuals with type 1 diabetes.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare quality of life (QoL) and treatment satisfaction using insulin glargine plus insulin lispro with that using NPH insulin plus unmodified human insulin in adults with type 1 diabetes managed with multiple injection regimens.

Research Design And Methods: As part of a 32-week, five-center, two-way crossover study in 56 individuals with type 1 diabetes randomized to evening insulin glargine plus mealtime insulin lispro or to NPH insulin (once or twice daily) plus mealtime unmodified human insulin, the Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (DTSQ) and the Audit of Diabetes Dependent Quality of Life questionnaire were completed at baseline and at weeks 16 and 32, with additional interim DTSQ measurements.

Results: For all patients combined, the mean baseline present QoL score was 1.

An overview of insulin glargine.

Insulin glargine is an innovative, long-acting human insulin analogue, whose prolonged mean activity profile has no pronounced peak. Accordingly, it mimics more closely the natural physiological profile of basal endogenous insulin secretion than do traditional extended-acting insulins such as NPH insulin. As would be expected for a more satisfactory basal insulin, clinical trials comparing insulin glargine with NPH insulin show less nocturnal hypoglycaemia, improved pre-breakfast blood glucose levels, or both.