The Transfer of Diabetic Patients from Animal Source Insulin to Human Insulin

Background The purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical efficacy and stabilityof human insulin therapy compared with conventional animal insulin therapy in respect ofadverse reactions, glycemic control, insulin requirement and subjective satisfaction. Methods To investigate the clinical efficacy and stability of human insulin therapy, weconducted this study in 55 university hospitals and goneral hospitals in Korea nationwide,for a period of 32 months from January 4, 1990 through December 31, 1992. The study wasset out to replace conventional animal insulin with human insulin(HumulinR) and observedadverse reactions, changes in blood glucose levels, HbA1C, insulin requirement and subjectivesatisfaction after replacement. Results Results are given as fo11ows. 1) Blood glucose level, HbAlc, and insulin requirement were significantly decreased afterreplacement animal insulin with human insulin(p<0.05). 2) As for adverse reactions, hypoglycemia was observed more frequently and the incidenceof chills and local allergic reaction at the site of insulin injection were decreased after replacement animal insulin with human insulin. 3) As for subjective satisfaction of the patients, number of patients with subjective satisfactionwere significantly increased after replacement animal insulin with human insulin(p<0.O5). Conclusion These results suggest that human insulin is preferable to animal insulins interms of glycemic control, insulin requirement and subjecive clinical response.