[When diet and oral antidiabetics are no longer enough. Optimal management of the diabetic patient with insulin].

In recent years, the approach to the insulin treatment of type 2 diabetics has undergone a change. Age and clinical status of the patient are decisive determinants for the selection of the appropriate form of treatment. The therapeutic strategy aims to achieve insulin substitution matched to the therapeutic objective, that is, continuous monitoring should be carried out to enable adaptation of the form and intensity of treatment to meet the target end point HbA1c < 6.5%. This necessity results in the earlier use of insulin in all, not only obese, type 2 diabetics. As a compromise solution, a certain percentage of these diabetics will have to be satisfied with simpler forms of insulin substitution and a higher HbA1c value. Attention is drawn to the other parameters of the metabolic syndrome, such as blood pressure, weight, and lipid metabolism. Particular importance attaches to non-pharmacological measures, in particular with the aim of avoiding a further increase in weight due to the treatment with insulin.