Improvements in quality of life associated with biphasic insulin aspart 30 in type 2 diabetes patients in China: results from the A(1)chieve® observational study

BACKGROUND: Based on the 24-week, prospective, non-interventional, observational study, A(1)chieve®, we investigated how health-related quality of life (HRQoL) changed, and the predictors of such changes, in Chinese people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) after starting with, or switching to, biphasic insulin aspart 30 (BIAsp 30). METHODS: In total, 8,578 people with T2DM starting treatment with, or switching to, BIAsp 30 were recruited from 130 urban hospitals in China. HRQoL was assessed at baseline and 24 weeks using the EuroQol-5 dimensions (EQ-5D) questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, paired t-test, and chi-square test were conducted and the linear ordinary least squares regression model was used to determine predictors for changes in EQ-5D score. RESULTS: Haemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) decreased from 9.5% to 7.0% after 24 weeks. The reported HRQoL measured by the EQ-5D visual analogue scale score increased by 6.2 (p < 0.001) from 75.8 to 82.0, and EQ-5D index score increased by 0.018 (p < 0.001) from 0.875 to 0.893 for the cohort over 24 weeks. The percentage of patients reporting no problems in the mobility, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression dimensions of EQ-5D increased significantly (p < 0.001) from 88.4% to 91.4%, 77.3% to 82.8%, and 74.2% to 77.1%, respectively. Patients with higher HbA1c levels at baseline, major hypoglycaemia or micro-complications exhibited significantly larger changes in EQ-5D scores than those with lower baseline HbA1c levels, without major hypoglycaemia or micro-complications after controlling for demographics and other baseline characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: BIAsp 30 treatment was associated with improved glycaemic control and HRQoL in T2DM patients in China. Patients with worse health conditions were more likely to experience larger improvements in HRQoL than those with better health conditions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00869908. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12955-014-0137-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.