Clinical benefits of switching to insulin degludec irrespective of previous basal insulin therapy in people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes: evidence from a European, multicentre, retrospective, non-interventional study (EU-TREAT).

Aims: To investigate whether the benefits of switching to insulin degludec observed in the European retrospective chart review study EU-TREAT were dependent on the previous basal insulin used.

Methods: People with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes were switched to insulin degludec from other basal insulins ≥6 months before data collection. Participants were stratified into three groups based on their previous basal insulin: insulin glargine 100 units/ml (Type 1: n=888; Type 2: n=259); insulin detemir (Type 1: n=726; Type 2: n=415); and neutral protamine Hagedorn (Type 1: n=53; Type 2: n=95). Their glycaemic control and hypoglycaemia incidence at 6 and 12 months post-switch vs pre-switch was then evaluated.

Results: Significant HbA reductions were achieved in all previous basal insulin groups for participants with Type 1 diabetes [insulin glargine 100 units/ml: -2.08 mmol/mol (-0.19%); insulin detemir: -2.40 mmol/mol (-0.22%)] and those with Type 2 diabetes [insulin glargine 100 units/ml: -5.90 mmol/mol (-0.54%); insulin detemir: -6.01 mmol/mol (-0.55%); neutral protamine Hagedorn: -2.73 mmol/mol (-0.25%)] at 6 months, except for the relatively small neutral protamine Hagedorn group in those with Type 1 diabetes [-1.75 mmol/mol (-0.16%)], where statistical significance was not reached. At 6 months in the Type 1 diabetes group, switching to insulin degludec from insulin glargine 100 units/ml resulted in significantly lower hypoglycaemia rates across all hypoglycaemia categories; for the insulin detemir group, this significance was also observed for severe and nocturnal non-severe hypoglycaemia, while the low number of people in the neutral protamine Hagedorn group resulted in nonsignificant reductions in hypoglycaemia rates. At 6 months in the people with Type 2 diabetes, switching to insulin degludec resulted in significantly lower rates of hypoglycaemia across all categories for all groups. Similar outcomes were observed at 12 months.

Conclusions: Switching to insulin degludec from other basal insulins can improve glycaemic control and/or reduce hypoglycaemia risk in people with diabetes (although there was a nonsignificant reduction in HbA and hypoglycaemia rates for the neutral protamine Hagedorn group in Type 1 diabetes) under routine care.