[Risks and side effects of intensified insulin therapy]

Diabetes mellitus may be accompanied by severe long-term microvascular, neurological and macrovascular complications. Prevention of these complications represents an enormous challenge for the diabetic patients and their doctors. However, if diabetic long-term complications occur, affecting one or more organ systems, it is a major goal to prevent their progression. Both, primary and secondary prevention require a good metabolic control striving for near-normal blood glucose values. Intensified insulin therapy (three or more daily injections or external insulin pump) has been shown to achieve a glycemic control as close to the normal range as possible.