Insulin dosage reduction. Evaluation of an education-stabilization programme for patients with insulin-dependent...

A retrospective survey was conducted of 52 consecutive subjects with insulin-treated diabetes who were attending an education-stabilization programme. Eleven subjects (21%) achieved more than a 20% reduction in daily insulin dosage six months after completion of the programme. Compared with the remainder of the group, these subjects had a significantly earlier age of onset, higher initial insulin dosage (mean, 61 units/day, compared with 39 units/day), higher initial insulin carbohydrate and fat consumption, but similar initial glycosylated haemoglobin levels. These results suggest that overinsulinization is a relatively frequent occurrence and should be particularly considered in younger patients who are receiving relatively large doses of insulin.