Insulin refusal in Iranian patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus

To achieve tight glycemic control in diabetic patients, it may be necessary to introduce insulin therapy much earlier in the disease course. Poor glycemic control is a risk factor for the development of diabetic complications. Many patients require insulin therapy after several years of disease in order to maintain good glycemic control and prevent complications. But many patients do not receive insulin therapy in a timely manner because of a negative appraisal of this treatment. Understanding the cause of this negative attitudes is necessary for better evaluation to overcome for this problem. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reasons for insulin refusal among patients with type 2 diabetes. This is a descriptive cross-sectional study from Yazd Diabetes Research Center. 400 patients with type 2 diabetes who had an HbA1c ≥8.0% despite optimal oral therapy were identified that participated in this study. Data were obtained by patient interview using validated questionnaires. This study showed that Insulin refusal was common. 77% of participant reported being unwilling to take insulin if prescribed. Fear of injection is an important cause for insulin refusal among patients. Insulin refusal is an important problem among our patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Findings of this study suggest that interventions aimed at increasing insulin use should focus on injection-related concerns, education and correction of misconceptions.