Clinical outcomes and costs for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus initiating insulin therapy in Gree Two-year experience from the INSTIGATE study

Publication date:



October 2013


SOURCE:Primary Care Diabetes, Volume 7, Issue 3

Author(s): Kyriakos Aloumanis , Marianna Benroubi , Sotiria Sourmeli , Vangelis Drossinos

AimsTo evaluate the quality of metabolic control, clinical outcomes, resource costs, and quality of life among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), who initiated insulin for the first time as part of routine clinical practice.MethodsThe INSTIGATE study is a prospective, multicentric, observational study of patients initiating insulin treatment. This sub-cohort analysis focuses on Hellenic outcomes.ResultsAt baseline, 263 Greek patients were enrolled just before initiating insulin for the first time. At the 6-month visit, 237 patients (90.1%) remained and consented to an additional 18-month observation period. In these 237 extension patients, over the 24-month post-initiation period, HbA1c (mean(SD)) decreased from 9.7%(1.6%) to 7.1%(0.9%) and body weight and BMI increased (+3(6)kg and +1.1(2.2)kg/m2, respectively). At each post-baseline visit approximately one in five patients reported1 episodes of hypoglycaemia in the preceding 3-6 months. Median total costs fluctuated from 438 at baseline to 538 up to 6 months and 451 at 24 months; mean costs were 496(383), 573(276) and 485(247), respectively.ConclusionsIn this cohort, insulin treatment seems to be effective with little long-term impact on cost. Findings should be interpreted in the context of an observational study.
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