A global study of nearly 5,000 people with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes demonstrated that treatment regimens that included the once-daily basal insulin Lantus significantly improved glycemic (blood sugar) control with a low risk of severe hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
The study examined two different methods of titrating the dose of Lantus, increasing the dose until the desired result of treatment was achieved. Titration that was self-directed by patients produced significantly greater reductions in A1C (glycated hemoglobin, a blood test that measures blood glucose levels over a two-to-three month period), and fasting blood sugar, than titration performed during physician office visits.
In clinical practice, patients with type 2 diabetes do not routinely reach treatment targets despite the use of insulin and/or oral antidiabetic medications. An estimated 57% of people with type 2 diabetes (nearly 6.3 million Americans) undergoing treatment have an A1C that is higher than 7%, the level recommended by the American Diabetes Association.
Prominent landmark studies have shown that reduction in A1C is associated with a reduced risk for microvascular complications such as small blood vessel complications that result in eye, kidney and nerve damage, and macrovascular complications that result in cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke.