TAIWAN: A study is being conducted to investigate the relationship between the duration of medication use and the prevalence of Impaired Awareness of Hypoglycemia (IAH) among patients with insulin-treated or sulfonylurea-treated type 2 diabetes.
This study was published in the Annals of Family Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal that publishes original research and commentary on primary care topics
During the investigation, 898 patients, 41.0% using insulin and 61.5% using sulfonylurea, were enrolled in Tainan City, Taiwan's pharmacies, clinics, and health bureaus. The mean [SD] age was 59.9 [12.3] years, and females accounted for 50.7% of the participants.
The Chinese versions of the Gold questionnaire (Gold-TW) and Clarke questionnaire (Clarke-TW) were used to assess the presence of Impaired Awareness of Hypoglycemia (IAH) in the patients
In the study, the researchers collected patients' case histories, including sociodemographic, disease, and treatment information, as well as details about diabetes-medical care and health status. They used a multiple logistic regression model to examine the relationship between medication use and IAH duration.
It was found that the prevalence of IAH has a direct relation with the duration of sulfonylurea. It increases with an increase in duration and decreases with the duration of insulin use
After adjusting for potential confounders, the study found that using sulfonylurea for 5 or more years was significantly associated with a 3.50-fold increase in the odds of IAH based on the Gold-TW criteria (95% CI, 2.39-5.13) and a 3.06-fold increase based on the Clarke-TW criteria (95% CI, 2.11-4.44). Conversely, regular blood glucose testing and retinal examinations were linked to reduced odds of IAH in both insulin and sulfonylurea users.
The study concluded that there is a high prevalence of IAH among patients who use sulfonylurea for the long term. However, the likelihood of this complication is reduced for those who receive regular diabetes-related medical care.
The study suggests that long-term use of sulfonylurea without regular diabetic medical care can increase the risk of developing IAH.
Refrences:
1. Cheng, H., Weng, S., Wu, J., Yeh, S., Chen, H., Novida, H., Ou, H., & Li, C. (2024). Long-Term sulfonylurea use and impaired awareness of hypoglycemia among patients with Type 2 diabetes in Taiwan. Annals of Family Medicine, 3129. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.3129
By Simran Sethi
