Treatment with insulin is associated with worse outcome in patients with chronic heart failure and diabetes

Cosmi, F. et al. (2018) Treatment with insulin is associated with worse outcome in patients with chronic heart failure and diabetes. European Journal of Heart Failure, 20(5), pp. 888-895. (doi: 10.1002/ejhf.1146) (PMID:29488676)

Abstract

Aims: Up to one-third of patients with diabetes mellitus and heart failure (HF) are treated with insulin. As insulin causes sodium retention and hypoglycaemia, its use might be associated with worse outcomes. Methods and results: We examined two datasets: 24 012 patients with HF from four large randomized trials and an administrative database of 4 million individuals, 103 857 of whom with HF. In the former, survival was examined using Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for baseline variables and separately for propensity scores. Fine–Gray competing risk regression models were used to assess the risk of hospitalization for HF. For the latter, a case–control nested within a population-based cohort study was conducted with propensity score. Prevalence of diabetes mellitus at study entry ranged from 25.5% to 29.5% across trials. Insulin alone or in combination with oral hypoglycaemic drugs was prescribed at randomization to 24.4% to 34.5% of the patients with diabetes. The rates of death from any cause and hospitalization for HF were higher in patients with vs. without diabetes, and highest of all in patients prescribed insulin [propensity score pooled hazard ratio for all-cause mortality 1.27 (1.16–1.38), for HF hospitalization 1.23 (1.13–1.33)]. In the administrative registry, insulin prescription was associated with a higher risk of all-cause death [odds ratio (OR) 2.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.87–2.19] and rehospitalization for HF (OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.32–1.53). Conclusions: Whether insulin use is associated with poor outcomes in HF should be investigated further with controlled trials, as should the possibility that there may be safer alternative glucose-lowering treatments for patients with HF and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Cleland, Professor John and Shen, Dr Li and Jhund, Professor Pardeep and McMurray, Professor John and Kober, Professor Lars
• Authors: Cosmi, F., Shen, L., Magnoli, M., Abraham, W. T., Anand, I. S., Cleland, J. G., Cohn, J. N., Cosmi, D., De Berardis, G., Dickstein, K., Franzosi, M. G., Gullestad, L., Jhund, P. S., Kjekshus, J., Køber, L., Lepore, V., Lucisano, G., Maggioni, A. P., Masson, S., McMurray, J. J.V., Nicolucci, A., Petrarolo, V., Robusto, F., Staszewsky, L., Tavazzi, L., Teli, R., Tognoni, G., Wikstrand, J., and Latini, R.
• Subjects: R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Robertson Centre
• Journal Name: European Journal of Heart Failure
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISSN: 1388-9842
• ISSN (Online): 1879-0844
• Published Online: 28 February 2018
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2018 The Authors and European Society of Cardiology
• First Published: First published in European Journal of Heart Failure 20(5):888-895
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy