Insulin therapy and body weight: benefits of biphasic human insulin analogue NovoMix 30

Abstract

Body weight (BW) excess is a characteristic problem for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) both as its pathogenetic feature and as a side effect of blood glucose lowering therapy. In the latter case reduction of glycosuria and frequent hypoglycemic events are primarily blamed for BW gain, but additional factors like direct effect of insulin on lipogenesis and influence of its supraphysiologic levels on regulation of appetite via CNS structures are also under discussion.Advances of the last years have brought new hope due to introduction of drug classes that do not affect BW. However, fraction of patients dependent on exogenous insulin shows stable trend for growth. Deterioration of beta-cell secretory capacity makes insulin an ultimately indispensable tool in the foreseeable future. As so, insulin therapy modalities with minimal impact on BW are preferable. In this regard human insulin analogues of both rapid and prolonged action have certain advantages.Current article addresses influence of pre-mixed insulin preparation NovoMix 30 (Novo Nordisk, Denmark) on BW. A summary of several studies of substantial duration (up to 3 years) suggests a neutral effect on BW in various categories of T2DM patients (including obese and elder patients).Therapy with pre-mixed preparations is an adequately safe and effective T2DM treatment modality and is advantageous for patients in whom BW gain is particularly unfavorable.

Keywords

• insulin therapy
• body weight
• novomix 30