Children with type 1 diabetes, who have to take multiple injections of insulin, can safely mix rapid-acting and long-acting insulin analogues in the same syringe without compromising long-term control of their blood sugar levels. Type 1 diabetes, which is typically diagnosed in childhood, occurs due to the loss of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. In contrast, type 2 diabetes, which usually develops in adulthood and is closely linked to obesity, is caused by decreased sensitivity to insulin. With both types, sugar has a difficult time getting into cells, so it accumulates in the blood. Researchers from the University of Colorado in Denver, USA, compared blood sugar control in 55 children who mixed insulin glargine (long-acting, synthetic version of human insulin) and a rapid-acting insulin analogue with that seen in 55 children who took separate injections. After 6 months, sugar control was nearly the same in each group. Likewise, the groups were comparable in terms of the percentages of blood sugar levels that fell outside the target range. Low and high blood sugar complications were uncommon and occurred with similar frequency in each group. The ability to give rapid-acting insulin analogues and long-acting insulin glargine in the same syringe has the potential to decrease the number of daily injections and increase use of insulin glargine, thereby promoting patient compliance. The above findings are encouraging for patients who wish to minimise the number of total daily injections because of needle fear, forgetting injections or other injection-related issues.
Journal of Pediatrics,
May 2006