Detemir potential applications in the treatment of diabetes during pregnancy: proven benefits and perspectives

Abstract

In recent years there is notable growing prevalence of gestational and overt diabetes in pregnant women while rate of obstetric complications, neonatal morbidity, perinatal mortality in women with diabetes is maintained at the high level as compared with common population. Furhermore no doubt that fetal programming and genetic factors induce the formation of various longterm complications in infants of diabetic mothers. There is a strong evidence that the risk of obstetric complications can be reduced by achieving adequate glycemic control, which is frequently still an elusive goal. Improved pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of the insulin analogs (including minimal action variability) allow to achieve a better glycemic control with lower risk of hypoglycemias compared to human insulin. The clinical benefits of detemir have been confirmed in clinical trials in pregnant women with diabetes. Detemir is the only long-acting insulin analog that has been evaluated in prospective studies in pregnant women and proved a satisfactory safety profile and the ability to achieve a lower level of fasting glycemia and advanced maturity of the fetus at delivery.