There are different therapeutic approaches for type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) based on new technologies such as continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) or flash glucose monitoring system (FGMS). Our objective is to assess clinical and QoL impact of three different therapeutic strategies: multiple daily insulin injections (MDI), CSII and MDI+FGMS.
cross sectional study assessing glucose control and diabetes and hypoglycaemia fear quality of life questionnaires (DQoL and HFS respectively) in 41 T1DM patients on MDI treatment, 42 on CSII and 23 on MDI+FGMS from a university hospital in the North of Spain
mean age was similar in the three groups (42.8-43.8 years, ns). Women were 52-70% in the three groups (ns). Educational status was different amongst groups: 37% university degree in MDI, 64% in CSII and 65% in MDI+FGMS (p<0.05). Patients from CSII group had longer duration of the disease: 24.5 years (7-59) vs MDI 15 (2-36) and MDI+FGMS 18 (1-40) groups (p<0.001). Mean HbA1c showed a non-significant trend towards lower values in MDI+FGMS (7.1±0.7%) vs CSII (7.4±0.8) and MDI (7.6±1.1) groups. MDI+FGMS users had a near to significance trend to better score in DQoL test vs patients from the other two groups (80.5 vs 90 (MDI) and 92.5 (CSII) p=0,09) and showed a non-significant trend in the HFS test towards less hypoglycaemia fear scores.
There is a trend to better glycaemic control, better diabetes related QoL and less hypoglycaemia fear in T1DM patients on MDI+FGMS vs CSII and MDI