Once-daily insulin glargine compared with twice-daily NPH insulin in patients with type 1 diabetes

To present the findings in a randomized, parallel-group study, comparing once-daily insulin glargine with twice-daily NPH insulin in patients with type 1 diabetes previously treated with multiple daily injections of basal and regular insulin.

Of 394 patients with type 1 diabetes treated for up to 28 weeks, 195 received insulin glargine and 199 received NPH insulin, in addition to preprandial regular insulin. Glycemic control and hypoglycemic episodes were assessed.

A greater mean decrease in fasting blood glucose (FBG) was achieved at endpoint with insulin glargine than with NPH insulin (-21 mg/dL versus -10 mg/dL [-1.17 mmol/L versus -0.56 mmol/L]; P = 0.015), and a greater percentage of patients treated with insulin glargine reached the target FBG (32.6% versus 21.3%; P = 0.015). Similar percentages of patients in both treatment groups achieved glycosylated hemoglobin values of 7.0% or less at endpoint (insulin glargine, 35.8%; NPH insulin, 35.4%). After the 1-month titration phase, the percentage of patients who reported at least one symptomatic hypoglycemic event confirmed by a blood glucose value of less than 50 mg/dL (2.8 mmol/L) was significantly lower with insulin glargine than with NPH insulin (73.3% versus 81.7%; P = 0.021). Furthermore, the percentage of patients who reported at least one symptomatic hypoglycemic event confirmed by a blood glucose value of less than 36 mg/dL (2.0 mmol/L) was significantly lower with insulin glargine than with NPH insulin (36.6% versus 46.2%; P = 0.033).

Once-daily insulin glargine was at least as effective as twice-daily NPH insulin in improving fasting glycemic control and resulted in fewer reported symptomatic hypoglycemic events.