Observational Study of the Use of Insulin Glargine as Basal Therapy in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Morocco

Background: The aim of the study was to assess the real-life efficacy and safety of insulin glargine (Lantus (R), Sanofi) as a basal regimen in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who are poorly controlled with oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) and/or other insulins. Methods: This observational, multicenter study was carried out in Morocco in 2011 and included 497 adult patients with T2DM and a baseline glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) between 7.5% and 10.5% and for whom a basal regimen with insulin glargine was initiated. Two follow-up visits were scheduled at 12 and 26 weeks after starting treatment. The primary outcome target was HbA1c < 7%. Safety was assessed by the frequency of hypoglycemic episodes. Results: The target HbA1c level of < 7% was reached by 11.5% of patients after 3 months of insulin glargine treatment and 32% after 6 months. Mean HbA1c decreased significantly from 9.37 +/- 1.14% at baseline to 7.43 +/- 0.87% at 6 months (P < 0.001). Mean fasting blood glucose also decreased significantly from 237.5 +/- 66.9 mg/dL at baseline to 129.5 +/- 35.1 mg/dL at 6 months (P < 0.001). Approximately 12% of patients reported at least one hypoglycemic episode. No adverse event other than hypoglycemia was reported. Conclusions: This study shows that in a real-life setting, a basal regimen with insulin glargine significantly improves glycemic control in patients with T2DM who are inadequately controlled with OADs or other insulin regimens, with an acceptable hypoglycemia profile.