Intensive Insulin Therapy in the Management of Newly Diagnosed Type I Diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Objective: to assess the effectiveness of intensive insulin therapy in the management of newly diagnosed type I diabetes mellitus in a sample of children and adolescents from Baghdad city.Methods: the study was conducted in the National Diabetes Center/Mustansiriya University/ Baghdad during the year 2002, the sample included (30) patients, divided into two groups; in group I the patients were intervened with an intensive insulin therapy while in group II the patients were subjected to the ordinary conventional therapy, blood glucose and HbA1c were done at the time of diagnosis and after three months to monitor the progress.Results: the (mean + SD) duration from starting Insulin therapy to the development of normoglycemia in Group I was (2.8+ 0.89) days while in Group II it was (40.8 + 22.2).The (mean + SD) duration between the initiation of normoglycemia and the development of remission was (43.1 + 38.4) in Group I and (43.7 + 26.1) in Group II. The mean HbA1c level in group I at the time of diagnosis was (11.7 + 2.1), while after three months it became (8.2 + 2.1). In group II; it was (10.6 + 1.9) at the time of diagnosis and (9.9 + 1.9) after the 3 months period.Conclusion: intensive insulin therapy in newly diagnosed type I DM patients can result in a rapid achievement of normoglycemia and of a (prolonged) remission phase. key words: Diabetes type I remission phase.