Insulin therapy increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality among patients with type 2 diabetes.
This is evidenced by several recent clinical studies, according to the US National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Although several older reports have yielded conflicting results, most large observational studies show strong dose-dependent relationships between insulin injections and increased risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.
The DIGAMI-2 trial found that insulin treatment doubled the risk of cardiovascular deaths in patients with diabetes.
The ACCORD study, which was conducted among 10,000 people. Patients with diabetes were stopped earlier when scientists found that therapies that include the use of insulin increased mortality. For each increase in insulin dose by 1 unit/kg/day, the risk of cardiovascular disease doubled to triple.
A study by the Kaiser Patient Registry found that insulin exposure increased the risk of cardiovascular disease by 2.5 times and patients with longer insulin use were at greater risk.
The Health Registry of Saskatchewan, a province in central Canada, also found a relationship between insulin dose and overall mortality. Patients with the highest doses of insulin have a 2.79 times higher risk of death from any cause.
Insulin uniquely causes weight gain, intermittent hypoglycemia, and other potential adverse effects, including iatrogenic hyperinsulinemia. Excessive insulinization with injectable insulin leads to inflammation, atherosclerosis, hypertension, dyslipidemia, heart failure, and arrhythmias, according to the US National Center for Biotechnology Information.
This indicates that the use of insulin therapy should be avoided unless absolutely necessary, especially in view of the existence of alternative pharmaceuticals, in particular for glycemic control without the use of insulin.
Although several older reports have yielded conflicting results, most large observational studies show strong dose-dependent relationships between insulin injections and increased risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.
The DIGAMI-2 trial found that insulin treatment doubled the risk of cardiovascular deaths in patients with diabetes.
The ACCORD study, which was conducted among 10,000 people. Patients with diabetes were stopped earlier when scientists found that therapies that include the use of insulin increased mortality. For each increase in insulin dose by 1 unit/kg/day, the risk of cardiovascular disease doubled to triple.
A study by the Kaiser Patient Registry found that insulin exposure increased the risk of cardiovascular disease by 2.5 times and patients with longer insulin use were at greater risk.
The Health Registry of Saskatchewan, a province in central Canada, also found a relationship between insulin dose and overall mortality. Patients with the highest doses of insulin have a 2.79 times higher risk of death from any cause.
Insulin uniquely causes weight gain, intermittent hypoglycemia, and other potential adverse effects, including iatrogenic hyperinsulinemia. Excessive insulinization with injectable insulin leads to inflammation, atherosclerosis, hypertension, dyslipidemia, heart failure, and arrhythmias, according to the US National Center for Biotechnology Information.
This indicates that the use of insulin therapy should be avoided unless absolutely necessary, especially in view of the existence of alternative pharmaceuticals, in particular for glycemic control without the use of insulin.
What is the situation in Ukraine?
The number of patients with type 2 diabetes who are prescribed insulin therapy is increasing every year. This is evidenced by the data of the Register of Patients in Need of Insulin Therapy. In recent years, the number of such patients has increased by more than 8 thousand. If in 2019 138,563 patients with type 2 diabetes received insulin, then in 2020 the number increased to 146,645. At the same time, the Registry data show an increase in the number of deaths among patients with type 2 diabetes who receive insulin in the age categories of 46 years and older.