Integrated Approach to Cardio-Vascular Risk in Insulin-Treated People with Diabetes based on the "Heart Project" and on Metabolic Complications Expected from Incorrect Injection Practice-Related Lipohypertrophy

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is known to be associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Over time, the CV Risk of patients with T2DM has been assessed according to various methods, often borrowed from different populations. Nevertheless, never have been evaluated changes in insulin absorption due to improper injection technique and responsible for further, well recognized CV-R factors as high glycemic variability, frequent hypoglycemia, and unsatisfactory glycemic control. Aim of the study was to intensify diabetes and its own comorbidities treatment, and in addition reduce the impact of injection technique of insulin to evaluate possible improvement in the CV-R score and NHYA score in 4499 insulin-treated T2DM subjects with (LH+) and without lipohypertrophy (LH-) due to improper injection habit. The educational training and the treatment intensification significantly reduced glycemic control, hypoglycemia rate and the mean amplitude of glycemic variability, expecially in LH+ subjects, adding new knowledge to a global intervention addressed to reduce the devastating impact to the increased cardiovascular risk of diabetic people, inclusive of the risk due to LHs