Time Elapsed For Switching From Oral Antidiabetic Therapy to Insulin Therapy in Type 2 Diabetic Patients and Evaluation of The Factors Affecting This Period

Background We aimed to determine the time elapsed for switching from oral antidiabetic therapy to insulin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and the factors that affect this period. Material and Methods Three hundred fifteen patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were followed up in the diabetes outpatient clinic were included in the study. The gender, education level, age of onset of diabetes, presence of hypertension, smoking and body mass index of the patients were examined, and the effects of these variables on time elapsed for switching to insulin therapy were analyzed in three phases. Results Three hundred fifteen patients (117 males, 198 females) were enrolled in the study. The mean time elapsed for switching from oral antidiabetic therapy to insulin therapy was 9.93±6.67 years. The effects of education level, age at the onset of diabetes, presence of hypertension, and body mass index on time elapsed for switching to insulin therapy were found to be statistically significant (p0.05). The time elapsed for switching to insulin therapy shortened as the education level, the age at the onset of diabetes, and body mass index level increased. It was found that hypertension in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus prolongs the time elapsed for switching to insulin therapy. Conclusion The body mass index level, presence of hypertension, education level and age at the onset of diabetes were the significant factors affecting the time elapsed for switching to insulin therapy.