A new study conducted at Tulane University shows that using insulin to treat type 2 diabetes could lead to weight gain.
The study showed the aggressive use of medication to regulate blood sugar levels in an effort to bring down A1c levels, especially through the use of insulin could in fact lead to weight gain.
This study was led by Dr. Vivian Fonseca and appeared in Diabetes Care in February 2013
The study followed 8.929 type 2 diabetic patients over a time frame of two years of which approximately half of the patients were on a standard treatment. The other half were using a much more aggressive treatment including insulin.
The study found that those using insulin on average gained a additional 2.7 kg as compared to their counterparts who did not use insulin.
Once randomisation had been applied it was clear that the group with the most aggressive treatment and the highest reduction in blood sugar also had the highest weight gain. The study authors wrote “ Insulin and TZD (thiazolidinedion) use was associated with the greatest weight gain. Nevertheless, appreciation of these characteristics may help develop strategies to prevent weight gain when initiating intensive glycemic control in the future.”
This news is disheartening for type 2 diabetic patients as weight control has been shown as a mechanism to help control diabetic symptoms.
The abstract if this study can be read by following this link