Insulinization: A promising strategy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus

The aim of the present study was to assess the efficiency of the long-term use of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII), a novel regimen known as insulinization, for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. A total of 150 subjects who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for type 2 diabetes were included in the study. The patients were divided into eight groups according to the treatment regimens they received and were monitored for 3 months. Insulin doses were adjusted to optimize glycemic control with the simplest possible insulin regimen. The outcomes studied included the time required for glycemic control and insulin dose reduction, the total daily insulin dose, the ratio of patients not requiring the administration of oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs), the rate of hypoglycemia, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and fasting plasma insulin (FinS) levels. Patients receiving insulinization required less time to achieve optimal glycemic control and insulin decrement compared with patients receiving other treatments. The total daily insulin dose for patients receiving insulinization therapy was 0.23±0.07 U/kg/day, which was lower than that in any other group. In patients receiving insulinization, the ratio of patients that did not require OADs (43.3%) and the concentration of FinS A were higher than those in the other groups. Furthermore, insulinization resulted in a greater reduction in HbA1c levels, as well as a reduced incidence of severe hypoglycemia. Insulinization may mimic physiological insulin secretion more effectively than other therapies. This regimen is more efficient and reduces the incidence of hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes, indicating that it is likely to be a promising treatment strategy for the disease.