Youth with type 2 diabetes have a high rate of treatment failure after discontinuation of insulin: A Pediatric Diabetes Consortium study

Insulin is commonly used to reverse gluco-toxicity in youth with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2D), but many are subsequently weaned off insulin. We analyzed Pediatric Diabetes Consortium (PDC) data to determine how long glycemic control is maintained after termination of initial insulin treatment. Youth with T2D who had previously been on insulin but were on either an intensive lifestyle intervention alone or metformin alone upon enrollment in the PDC T2D Registry were studied (N = 183). The primary outcome was time to treatment failure, defined by need to restart insulin or metformin or another diabetes medication. Data were analyzed using logistic regression to assess risk factors for treatment failure. Of the 183 participants studied (mean age 15 years, diabetes duration 1.7 years), 54% experienced treatment failure (median follow-up time 1.7 years). In the subgroup on metformin monotherapy (N = 140), 45% subsequently required restart of insulin. Moreover, of participants in the subgroup treated with an intensive lifestyle intervention alone (N = 43), 81% restarted insulin or were treated with metformin or other diabetes medication. In both groups, median time to treatment failure was 1.2 years. Higher HbA1c at enrollment was significantly associated with treatment failure (p < 0.001). Youth with T2D who are initially treated with insulin have a high rate of treatment failure when switched to intensive lifestyle alone or metformin alone. Our data highlight the severe and progressive nature of youth onset T2D, hence patients should be monitored closely for deteriorating glycemic control after being weaned off insulin.