Myth that insulin is last resort unfounded

DALLAS, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Type 2 diabetics often resist insulin fearing weight gain, poor quality of life or low blood sugar, but U.S. researchers say such fears are largely unfounded.

Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center suggest patients and physicians should consider insulin as a front-line defense, as opposed to a treatment of last resort for non-insulin-dependent diabetes.

"We found that those patients who received insulin initially did just as well, if not better, than those who didn't receive insulin," lead author Dr. Ildiko Lingvay says in a statement. "This reinforces the idea that insulin treatment is a viable and safe option for patients, even in the very initial stages of their diagnoses."

The researchers compared rates of compliance, satisfaction, effectiveness, safety and quality of life among the patients, who were randomized to receive either standard triple oral therapy or insulin plus metformin -- an oral drug that helps regulate blood sugar levels.

The study, scheduled to be published in Diabetes Care, finds patients taking insulin plus metformin had fewer low-blood-sugar, or hypoglycemic, events, gained less weight and reported high satisfaction with the insulin.