Diabetes Care, Vol 16, Issue 6 896-901, Copyright © 1993 by American Diabetes Association
Comparison of morning or bedtime insulin with and without glyburide in secondary sulfonylurea failure
IL Soneru, L Agrawal, JC Murphy, AM Lawrence and C Abraira
Diabetes Research Laboratory, Hines Veterans Administration Hospital, Illinois 60141.
OBJECTIVES--New treatment options are needed for glycemic control in NIDDM.
We evaluated the effects of bedtime or morning insulin treatment, combined
with daytime glyburide or given alone. RESEARCH DESIGN AND
METHODS--Twenty-nine male patients with NIDDM, mean age 63 +/- 1.7 yr, body
weight 124 +/- 2.98% of DBW, received a maximum glyburide dose (20 mg/day)
for a minimum of 6 wk, to confirm sulfonylurea failure. Human lente insulin
was added for 12 wk either AM (n = 14) or HS (n = 15) and adjusted to
obtain fasting euglycemia (FPG; combination treatment phase). Glyburide was
then stopped, and insulin was continued for 6 wk, aiming for normal FPG
(insulin phase). RESULTS--After combination treatment phase, FPG decreased
(P < 0.02) from 12.43 +/- 0.68 to 5.73 +/- 0.65 mM (AM) and from 12.68
+/- 0.76 to 5.51 +/- 0.48 mM (HS) (AM vs. HS, NS). Postbreakfast,
presupper, and 0200 AM plasma glucose levels fell equally (P < 0.02)
except for 1-h postprandial (AM 12.46 +/- 0.51 mM, HS 10.88 +/- 0.62 mM, AM
vs. HS, P < 0.1). Mean HBA1c fell similarly in both AM and HS groups. At
2 wk of the insulin phase, FPG was higher in AM than HS, 9.8 +/- 0.76 vs.
7.56 +/- 0.7 mM (P < 0.1). At the end of insulin phase, plasma glucose
levels were similar to the end of combination treatment phase, but the
insulin dose had to be raised in AM by 39% (P < 0.02) and HS by 30% (P
< 0.05). After the combination treatment phase, fasting C-peptide was
significantly suppressed in HS group only, from 1.22 +/- 0.12 to 0.82 +/-
0.09 nM (P < 0.02). At the end of insulin phase, fasting C-peptide was
further suppressed in both groups, but 2-h postprandial C-peptide levels
decreased significantly in AM group only, from 1.85 +/- 0.23 to 1.42 +/-
0.13 nM (P < 0.02). Triglycerides and total and HDL cholesterol did not
change significantly after either combination treatment phase or insulin
phase. Mean weight gain was 6.5 lb during combination treatment phase (NS
from baseline), without further change during insulin phase. Hypoglycemic
reactions, all mild, were recorded at a rate of 1.35/patient in the AM
group and 0.4/patient in the HS group (P < 0.025). CONCLUSIONS--Normal
fasting glycemia and near-normal postprandial glucose profile could be
obtained with combination therapy in NIDDM. Results were similar if
insulin, alone or in combination with glyburide, was given before breakfast
or at bedtime, but hypoglycemic reactions were more common with
conventional morning insulin injections.