Insulin-pen treatment, quality of life and metabolic control: retrospective intra-group evaluations

The significance of the insulin pen for the quality of life of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) has been debated. The aim of this study was to empirically investigate whether quality of life and metabolic control improve and whether insulin requirements change subsequent to multiple injection-pen treatment. The study group comprised 72 consecutive outpatients with IDDM. Thirty-eight subjects had an initial daily regimen of one or two injections, and the remaining 34 subjects had three or more injections. All patients had four or five injections per day during pen treatment. Perceived changes in quality of life attributed to pen treatment were assessed retrospectively at follow-up 9-13 months after the changeover. Data on metabolic control (HbA1c) and insulin dose were collected at base-line and follow-up. The life quality of the IDDM-patients improved consistently, a finding corroborated by recent studies with other designs and methods. Metabolic control improved only for those patients who previously had one or two injections. The insulin requirements did not change. In conclusion, the pen contributes to a better life for the IDDM patient. The quality of life changes due to treatment intervention appear to be assessable.