Background: Real world outcomes of addition or switch to insulin therapy in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients on glucagon-like paptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) with inadequately controlled hyperglycaemia, are not known.
Materials and methods: Patients with T2DM (n = 66 583) with a minimum of 6 months of GLP-1RA treatment and without previous insulin treatment were selected. Those who added insulin (n = 39 599) or switched to insulin after GLP-1RA cessation (n = 4706) were identified. Adjusted changes in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), weight, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and LDL cholesterol were estimated over 24 months follow-up.
Results: Among those who continued with GLP-1RA treatment without adding or switching to insulin, the highest adjusted mean HbA1c change was achieved within 6 months, with no further glycaemic benefits observed during 24 months of follow-up. Addition of insulin within 6 months of GLP-1RA initiation was associated with 18% higher odds of achieving HbA1c <7% at 24 months, compared with adding insulin later. At 24 months, those who added insulin reduced HbA1c significantly by 0.55%, while no glycaemic benefit was observed in those who switched to insulin. Irrespective of intensification with insulin, weight, SBP and LDL cholesterol were significantly reduced by 3 kg, 3 mm Hg, and 0.2 mmol/L, respectively, over 24 months.
Conclusions: Significant delay in intensification of treatment by addition of insulin is observed in patients with T2DM inadequately controlled with GLP-1RA. Earlier addition of insulin is associated with better glycaemic control, while switching to insulin is not clinically beneficial during 2 years of treatment. Non-responding patients on GLP-1RA would benefit from adding insulin therapy, rather than switching to insulin.
Keywords: GLP-1 analogue; insulin therapy; pharmaco-epidemiology; type 2 diabetes.
© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.