Basal-rate intravenous insulin infusion compared to conventional insulin treatment in patients with type II diabetes. A prospective crossover trial.

We compared continuous basal-rate intravenous insulin infusion, delivered by means of a totally implantable pump, to two types of conventional insulin administration in patients with type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes in a prospective crossover trial. Ten patients entered the study, and 5 completed all three 8-mo study periods. When results from the infusion study period were compared with results from the period involving single daily injections of ultralente insulin, significant improvements were noted in the pump arm in glycosylated hemoglobin concentrations (which were nearly normal), M-component values, mean daily outpatient fasting blood glucose concentrations, mean fasting and 24-h blood glucose concentrations during an inpatient 24-h glycemic profile, and urinary glucose concentrations. When the pump arm was compared to a period of single daily injections of lente insulin, three of six monthly mean fasting blood glucose concentrations and overall means for the entire study period were significantly lower during the pump arm than during the lente arm; in addition, significantly fewer hypoglycemic reactions were noted during infusion therapy than during lente therapy. Finally, mealtime free-insulin and C-peptide excursions appeared to be greater during infusion treatment when compared with lente or ultralente treatment. In the 50% of patients who completed the study, it appeared that significant improvements in glycemic control could be achieved by simple basal-rate intravenous insulin infusion compared with conventional treatment with single daily injections of ultralente or lente insulin without an increased incidence of symptomatic hypoglycemia.