COMBINATION OF ORAL ANTIDIABETIC DRUGS AND INSULIN IN THE TREATMENT OF NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) appears to be an heterogeneous disorder characterized by both relative insulin deficiency and impaired insulin action. The initial management of NIDDM should include patient education, dietary counselling and individualized programs of physical activity. It is only when such measures fail that drug therapy should be considered. Oral drug therapies include sulphonylurea derivatives, biguanides, among which metformin remains the only one commercialized in our country, and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors such as acarbose. However, insulin therapy may be required to achieve adequate glycaemic control in some patients, the so-called secondary failures to oral treatment. The rationale for combining insulin and oral drug therapy derives from a better understanding of the pathophysiology of NIDDM and of the mechanisms of action of the oral drugs available: 1) type 2 diabetic patients are both insulin-deficient and insulin-resistant, thus requiring quite high doses of exogenous insulin; 2) peripheral insulin delivery leads to hyperinsulinaemia which could play a role in the pathogenesis of late diabetic complications; 3) sulphonylureas stimulate insulin release directly into the portal vein and could also potentiate peripheral insulin action; and 4) metformin (by improving glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity) and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (by slowing down the digestion of complex carbohydrates and sucrose) are able to reduce the amounts of insulin needed to control postprandial hyperglycaemia. Numerous studies have shown that a combination of insulin and sulphonylurea is more effective than insulin alone in the treatment of patients with NIDDM after secondary failure to oral drugs, leading to better glucose profiles and/or decreased insulin needs. The available data suggest that combination therapy is most beneficial in the diabetic patient who still has residual insulin secretory capacity and that the best scheme comprises an evening injection of lente insulin and the administration of sulphonylureas before meals. Preliminary results suggested that insulin-metformin (when obesity is present) or insulin-acarbose (when post-prandial hyperglycaemia occurs) combinations might offer some favourable features for the treatment of NIDDM patients although these therapeutical approaches still require adequate evaluation in further controlled studies. The additional cost of such combined therapy should be weighed against the potential advantages of better metabolic control.