Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Insulin glargine 300 U/ml to treat diabetes in cats
By Guido Linari et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2021·View original on Semantic Scholar →
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Original publication title: Insulin glargine 300 U/ml for the treatment of feline diabetes mellitus
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with diabetes were treated with a new insulin called insulin glargine 300 U/ml to see if it could help manage their symptoms. Over eight weeks, most of the cats showed improvements in common diabetes signs like excessive thirst, hunger, and weight loss. Remarkably, two of the newly diagnosed cats went into remission after a few weeks of treatment. The insulin was generally safe, with only a small number of low blood sugar episodes noted, and no serious symptoms were reported. Overall, insulin glargine appears to be a promising option for managing diabetes in cats.
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Abstract
Objectives The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of insulin glargine 300 U/ml (IGla-U300) in cats with variable duration of diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods Thirteen client-owned cats with DM completed a prospective clinical trial. Four cats were highly suspected of hypersomatotropism and excluded from the insulin efficacy evaluation. All cats were treated with IGla-U300 SC at a starting dosage of 0.5 U/kg q12h and fed with a low carbohydrate diet. Cats were monitored for 8 weeks with a once-weekly at-home 16 h blood glucose curve (BGC) and a questionnaire evaluating the presence of DM-related clinical signs. In-clinic evaluations, including serum fructosamine measurement, were scheduled within 3 days of the first, third, sixth and eighth BGC. Glycemic variability was assessed by calculating the SD of each BGC. Results Excluding four cats suspected of hypersomatotropism, at the time of the eighth BGC, improved or absent polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, weight loss, lethargy and improved or normal general demeanor were reported in 8/9 (88%), 8/9 (88%), 7/9 (77%), 7/9 (77%), 7/9 (77%) and 8/9 (88%) cats, respectively. Two cats achieved remission after 29 and 53 days. Another two cats went into remission after the end of the study (days 82 and 96). All cats that achieved remission were newly diagnosed diabetics. Median (range) serum fructosamine concentration significantly decreased when comparing the time of enrollment (604 [457–683] µmol/l) with the eighth week of treatment (366 [220–738] µmol/l) (P = 0.02). In all 13 cats, biochemical hypoglycemia (blood glucose <60 mg/dl; <3.3 mmol/l) was detected in 13/104 (12.5%) BGCs, while clinical signs suggesting hypoglycemic episodes were not reported. Glycemic variability was significantly lower at the fifth BGC when comparing cats that achieved remission with cats that did not achieve remission (P = 0.02). Conclusions and relevance IGla-U300 seems effective and safe for the treatment of feline diabetes, but more long- term and comparative clinical trials are needed.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Semantic Scholar: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/34009061