A Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effect of Local Insulin Glargine on Venous Ulcer Healing

To determine whether the local administration of insulin glargine compared with placebo in nondiabetic patients with venous ulcers (VUs) leads to increased wound healing.

A randomized controlled trial using a split-plot design was performed in 36 adults with leg VUs >25 cm² and more than 3 mo of evolution. Each hemi-wound received either 10 UI insulin glargine or saline solution once a day for 7 d. Size of the wounds, thermal asymmetry, the number of blood vessels, and the percentage area of collagen content in wound biopsies were assessed at baseline and after 7 d of treatment. Blood capillary glucose was monitored once a day after the insulin injection.

After 7 d of treatment, the hemi-wounds treated with insulin glargine were significantly smaller, had less thermal asymmetry, more blood vessels, and more collagen content than the saline-treated side. Correlation between thermal asymmetry and the number of blood vessels was also found (r² = 66.2, P < 0.001). No patient presented capillary glucose levels ≤3.3 mmol/L nor any adverse effects.

In nondiabetic patients with chronic VUs, the topical administration of insulin glargine seems to be safe and promotes wound healing and tissue repair after 7 d of treatment.