Hypoglycemia (HG) and fear of HG are well-known problems for people using insulin, impacting quality of life, glycemic control, and health care cost. We evaluated patient perceptions of the unmet need of HG prevention in insulin users, exploring various patient aims in managing HG (Figure 1) via a survey of 637 T1D and T2D patients. Respondents rated the importance of each aim, and their current satisfaction in meeting them with current therapy. Compared to T2D, T1D patients (and also CGM users compared to non-users) had lower satisfaction with status quo for all aims except in managing meals. T1D and T2D placed greatest importance on avoiding waking due to nocturnal hypoglycemia (NH). Avoiding waking at night and reducing anxiety due to NH were identified as areas of high unmet need (low satisfaction, high importance) in both T1D and T2D (particularly those on MDI) while managing exercise and meals were prominent needs in T1D.
Although CGM technologies are becoming the standard of care for insulin users, and are a proven tool for warning of HG, CGM users have mixed feelings about HG alerts, especially in NH. Respondents were asked about their interest (4 point “intent to use” scale) in adding a drug to their existing regimen (insulin ± CGM) that would prevent NH. There was strong interest in adjunctive use of a therapy to prevent NH from all groups, and CGM users showed the greatest interest in an adjunctive therapy.
R. Liggins: None. C. Piche: Board Member; Self; Zucara Therapeutics Inc. Employee; Self; Locemia Solutions. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Beta Bionics, Bigfoot Biomedical, Biolinq, Capillary Biomedical, Inc., Diasome Pharmaceuticals, Inc. M. Riddell: Advisory Panel; Self; Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Consultant; Self; Lilly Diabetes. Research Support; Self; Dexcom, Inc., Insulet Corporation, Novo Nordisk Inc., Sanofi. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Medtronic MiniMed, Inc., OmniPod. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Zucara Therapeutics Inc. R. Wood: Other Relationship; Self; Multiple companies in the diabetes field (>10 companies). C. Pang: Consultant; Self; dQ&A Market Research, Inc. M. Lafontaine: Consultant; Self; Diasome Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Metronom Health Europe, Montmed, Tolerion, Inc., Zucara Therapeutics Inc. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Locemia Solutions. Other Relationship; Self; 360 Marketing Strategic Services. M. Midmer: Employee; Self; Zucara Therapeutics Inc.
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