The impact of ideglira in treatment simplification in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus already on insulin therapy: The stop study

Aim

The STOP study is a proof-of-concept, aimed at evaluating the effectiveness and safety of IdegLira in deintensifying diabetes therapy in elderly insulin-treated persons with T2DM.

Methods

The study was a real world, single center retrospective observation.

Results

96 persons were enrolled (46F, age 77 ± 7 yrs, HbA1C 7.5 ± 1.0, diabetes duration 21 ± 10 yrs; 75 % in basal/bolus insulin therapy). After 6 months (T6), fasting plasma glucose significantly decreased as compared to T0, as did HbA_1C. The switch to IdegLira was associated with significantly lower rates of level 1 (L1) hypoglycemia at T3 (IR 0.24, 95 % CI 0.11–0.58, p < 0.001) and T6 (IR 0.08, 95 % CI 0.02–0.34, p < 0.001) as compared to T0. Level 2 (L2) hypoglycemia rates significantly decreased at T3 (IR 0.04, 95 % CI 0.01–0.32, p < 0.001) as compared to T0. The proportion of persons (incidence) with L1 hypoglycemia decreased from 33.7 % at T0 to 17.4 % at T3 (p = 0.004) and to 5.8 % at T6 (p < 0.001). Incidence of L2 hypoglycemia decreased from 22.1 % at T0 to 1.16 % at T3 (p < 0.001). No patients had L2 hypoglycemia at T6. Rapid acting insulin was interrupted in 85 % of patients.

Conclusions

IdegLira represents a viable option in deintensifying insulin therapy in an elderly population.