JAKARTA - Diabetes therapy aims to help sufferers keep blood sugar levels stable to avoid various long-term complications. In addition to changes in diet and lifestyle, some patients need insulin therapy to help the body regulate blood sugar better.
A common challenge is how to find an effective, safe, and long-term therapy without causing burdensome side effects.
A study conducted at Dr. Zainoel Abidin Hospital together with the Faculty of Medicine of Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh, provides an overview of the use of insulin degludec/insulin aspart (IDegAsp) in daily practice in Indonesia.
This study is the first Real World Evidence (RWE) study in the country that observes the effectiveness and safety of the therapy in diabetic patients for up to five years.
This study involved 550 diabetic patients, consisting of 502 type 2 diabetic patients and 48 type 1 diabetic patients. The results showed that the use of IDegAsp was able to help lower blood sugar levels stably and can be used with good safety in long-term monitoring.
This study is important because it presents data based on real patient experiences in Indonesia, which have been limited so far. The research was conducted by a team of doctors from the Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes Division of Dr. Zainoel Abidin Hospital/FK Syiah Kuala University, Banda Aceh.
In general, the results of the study showed that the blood sugar levels of patients experienced a significant decrease, both in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In addition, the risk of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar conditions was reported to be very minimal during the monitoring period.
Internal Medicine Specialist subspecialist in Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes, Dr. Hendra Zufry, who was involved in this study, explained that the findings provide a real picture of the use of insulin therapy in Indonesia.
"This study is important because we finally have real world evidence specific to Indonesia, related to the effectiveness of insulin therapy for diabetic patients. In addition, the majority of the population in this study are National Health Insurance (JKN) users. Local data like this is expected to strengthen the development of clinical guidelines and be considered in policymaking related to diabetes management at the national level," he said in a press statement from Novo Nordisk Indonesia to VOI.
He said that most of the patients in this study were National Health Insurance (JKN) participants, so the data produced were considered relevant for the development of clinical guidelines and health service policies.
In the results of the study, a decrease in HbA1c levels or average blood sugar in the long term was recorded. In type 2 diabetes patients, HbA1c decreased by about 3.32 percent, while in type 1 diabetes it decreased by about 3.60 percent. In addition, fasting blood sugar levels and blood sugar after eating also showed consistent decreases.
This study also highlights the safety aspects of the therapy. During the observation period, the majority of patients did not experience hypoglycemia, and no cases of severe hypoglycemia were found in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients. These findings are important because concerns about hypoglycemia are often a reason for patients to hesitate to start or adjust insulin therapy.
In addition to lowering blood sugar, a small number of patients experience mild weight gain. This condition is considered still able to be monitored and managed with the assistance of medical personnel. Insulin dose adjustments are carried out gradually based on blood sugar test results, accompanied by regular communication between patients and doctors.
The increasing number of diabetes sufferers in Indonesia, this study provides additional insight into one of the therapeutic options that can help control blood sugar.
However, the researchers emphasized that each patient has different conditions, so the selection of therapy still needs to be adjusted to the needs of each and carried out under the supervision of health workers.
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