Not All Type-2-Diabetes Patients Increase Body Mass Index After Initiating Insulin: Results of Latent Class Analysis from the DPV Registry

Background: Is insulin initiation linked to increasing body mass index (BMI) in all patients with type-2-diabetes (T2D)? To determine distinct longitudinal patterns of BMI change over time. Materials and Methods: 5057 patients with T2D (55% males, median BMI [IQR]: 30.0 [26.9-33.3] kg/m(2)) aged >= 40 years at diabetes diagnosis and with >= 2 years of follow-up after insulin initiation irrespective of previous or concurrent use of metformin/dipeptidyl peptidase-4-inhibitor from the multicenter prospective diabetes registry DPV were studied. To identify subgroups following a similar pattern of BMI change after insulin initiation, longitudinal group-based trajectory modeling was applied. Multinomial logistic regression was then used to analyze covariates associated with group membership. Results: Three heterogeneous groups with either relevant BMI increase (delta-BMI: +4.0kg/m(2) after 2 years; 12% of patients); slight BMI increase (+0.4kg/m(2); 80%); or BMI decrease (-3.2kg/m(2); 8%) were identified. Patients with older age [OR (95% CI): 1.37 (1.11-1.69)] and obesity [2.05 (1.65-2.55)] before insulin start were more often in the BMI decreasing group, and less often in the BMI increasing class [0.80 (0.67-0.95); 0.82 (0.69-0.98)]. A worse HbA1c both at insulin start and during follow-up [1.90 (1.60-2.26); 1.17 (1.07-1.27)], a higher insulin dose [1.67 (1.33-2.10)], and severe hypoglycemic events [2.38 (1.60-3.53)] after insulin initiation were all linked with higher odds of belonging to the BMI increasing trajectory. Conclusions: Patient heterogeneity with respect to weight gain after initiation of insulin therapy in adult T2D was detected by an objective computer algorithm. Older people with obesity should not defer from insulin use due to fear of weight gain.

Automated summary

In patients with type-2 diabetes, insulin initiation leads to different patterns of weight change: significant increase, slight increase, or decrease. Older and obese patients are more likely to experience weight loss after starting insulin, while poor glycemic control, higher insulin dose, and severe hypoglycemic events are associated with weight gain trajectory.