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Introduction: The efficacy and safety of ertugliflozin have not been well characterized in Asian populations with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and overweight or obesity as defined by the Chinese Diabetes Society [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 24 kg/m2]. Methods: These post hoc analyses of pooled data from two randomized, double-blind, 26-week studies assessed the efficacy and safety of ertugliflozin (5 mg or 15 mg) compared with placebo in participants from Asia with T2D and baseline BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2, with inadequate glycemic control on metformin. Longitudinal analyses were used to calculate least squares (LS) mean [95% confidence interval (CI)] change from baseline in glycemic indices and body weight. The proportions of participants achieving efficacy targets and experiencing adverse events (AEs) were assessed. Results: The 445 participants had a mean age of 55.5 years, T2D duration 6.6 years, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) 8.1%, and BMI 27.6 kg/m2. At week 26, placebo-adjusted LS mean (95% CI) changes from baseline for ertugliflozin 5 mg and 15 mg, respectively, were − 0.78% (− 0.95% to − 0.61%) and − 0.80% (− 0.98% to − 0.63%) for HbA1c, and − 1.74 kg (− 2.29 kg to − 1.19 kg) and − 2.04 kg (− 2.60 kg to − 1.48 kg) for body weight. A greater proportion of participants receiving ertugliflozin 5 mg and 15 mg versus placebo, respectively, achieved HbA1c < 7.0% (42.1% and 46.3% vs. 13.9%), body weight reduction ≥ 5% (35.5% and 38.3% vs. 11.1%), and systolic blood pressure < 130 mmHg (42.4% and 34.5% vs. 21.7%). The proportion of participants with AEs was 52.6% (ertugliflozin 5 mg), 52.3% (ertugliflozin 15 mg), and 55.6% (placebo). Conclusions: In participants from Asia with T2D inadequately controlled by metformin monotherapy, and BMI ≥24 kg/m2, ertugliflozin (5 mg or 15 mg) resulted in greater glycemic and body weight reductions compared with placebo and was generally well tolerated. Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifiers NCT02033889, NCT02630706. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To explore the patterns of use of oral glucose‐lowering drugs (OGLDs) in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), focusing on sulphonylureas (SUs), and to describe patient profiles according to treatment regimen. Methods: We conducted a cross‐sectional analysis of data from adults with T2D from 11 Asian countries/regions with structured assessment enrolled in the prospective Joint Asia Diabetes Evaluation (JADE) register between November 2007 and December 2019. Patients receiving insulin and/or injectable glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists were excluded. Results: Amongst 62 512 patients (mean ± standard deviation age: 57.3 ± 11.8 years; 53.6% men), 54 783 (87.6%) were treated with OGLDs at enrolment. Most received one (37.5%) or two (44.2%) OGLDs. In the entire cohort, 59.4% of treated patients received SU‐based therapy with variations amongst countries/regions. Overall, 79.5% of SU regimens were based on SUs plus metformin, and 22.1% on SUs plus dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors. Among SU users, gliclazide was most commonly prescribed (46.7%), followed by glimepiride (40.0%) and glibenclamide (8.1%). More gliclazide users entered the cohort with glycated haemoglobin levels <53 mmol/mol (7%) than non‐gliclazide SU users (odds ratio [OR] 1.09, 95% CI 1.02‐1.17), with less frequent self‐reported hypoglycaemia in the 3 months before registration (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.72‐0.92; adjusted for sociodemographic factors, cardiometabolic risk factors, complications, use of other OGLDs, country/region and year of registration). Conclusion: In Asia, SUs are a popular OGLD class, often combined with metformin. Good glycaemic control and safety profiles associated with the use of SUs, including gliclazide, support their position as a key treatment option in patients with T2D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate whether the cardiorenal benefits of the sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 inhibitor empagliflozin are affected by body mass index (BMI) in type 2 diabetes patients with established cardiovascular (CV) disease, including Asians. Methods: In this exploratory analysis of the EMPA‐REG OUTCOME trial, we used Cox regression to evaluate the effects of empagliflozin on all‐cause mortality, hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) or CV death, and incident or worsening nephropathy by baseline BMI category. Results: Of the 7020 participants (1517 Asians [21.6%]), 934 (13.3%), 2465 (35.1%) and 3621 (51.6%) had a BMI of less than 25, 25 to less than 30, and 30 kg/m2 or higher, respectively. Overall, hazard ratios for empagliflozin versus placebo for all‐cause mortality, HHF or CV death, and incident or worsening nephropathy were 0.68 (95% CI 0.57, 0.82), 0.66 (0.55, 0.79) and 0.61 (0.53, 0.70), respectively, and were consistent across BMI categories (P values for interaction between treatment and BMI were.6772,.3087 and.6265, respectively). Results were similar in Asians using these BMI categories and categories of less than 24, 24 to less than 28, and 28 kg/m2 or higher. Conclusion: Empagliflozin reduced cardiorenal and mortality risk regardless of BMI at baseline, including in Asians with a lower BMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of obesity in Asia is of epidemic proportions, with an estimated 1 billion overweight/obese individuals in the region. The majority of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are overweight/obese, which increases the risk of cardiorenal outcomes in these patients; hence, sustained reductions in body weight and visceral adiposity are important management goals. However, most of the glucose-lowering therapies such as insulin, sulfonylureas, glinides, and thiazolidinediones induce weight gain, which makes the management of overweight/obese T2DM patients challenging. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors are the only oral glucose-lowering agents that have been shown to reduce body weight and visceral adiposity. In addition, SGLT-2 inhibitors therapy reduces ectopic fat deposition and improves adipose tissue function and weight-related quality of life. In this article, we aim to consolidate the existing literature on the effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors in Asian patients with T2DM and to produce clinical recommendations on their use in overweight or obese patients with T2DM. Recommendations from international and regional guidelines, as well as published data from clinical trials in Asian populations and cardiovascular outcomes trials are reviewed. Based on the available data, SGLT-2 inhibitors represent an evidence-based therapeutic option for the management of overweight/obese patients with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To assess glycaemic control and factors associated with poor glycaemic control at initiation of second‐line therapy in the DISCOVER programme. Materials and methods: DISCOVER (NCT02322762 and NCT02226822) comprises two similar prospective observational studies of 15 992 people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) initiating second‐line glucose‐lowering therapy in 38 countries across six regions (Africa, Americas, South‐East Asia, Eastern Mediterranean, Europe and Western Pacific). Data were collected using a standardized case report form. Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels were measured according to standard clinical practice in each country, and factors associated with poor glycaemic control (HbA1c >8.0%) were evaluated using hierarchical regression models. Results: HbA1c levels were available for 80.9% of patients (across‐region range [ARR] 57.5%‐97.5%); 92.2% (ARR 59.2%‐99.1%) of patients had either HbA1c or fasting plasma glucose levels available. The mean HbA1c was 8.3% (ARR 7.9%‐8.7%). In total, 26.7% of patients had an HbA1c level ≥9.0%, with the highest proportions in South‐East Asia (35.6%). Factors associated with having HbA1c >8.0% at initiation of second‐line therapy included low education level, low country income, and longer time since T2D diagnosis. Conclusions: The poor levels of glycaemic control at initiation of second‐line therapy suggest that intensification of glucose‐lowering treatment is delayed in many patients with T2D. In some countries, HbA1c levels are not routinely measured. These findings highlight an urgent need for interventions to improve monitoring and management of glycaemic control worldwide, particularly in lower‐middle‐ and upper‐middle‐income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To describe health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and identify associated factors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treated with oral glucose-lowering drugs (OGLDs). This retrospective, cross-sectional analysis included adults with T2DM from 11 Asian countries/regions prospectively enrolled in the Joint Asian Diabetes Evaluation (JADE) Register (2007–2019) with available EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D-3L) data. Of 47,895 included patients, 42,813 were treated with OGLDs + lifestyle modifications (LSM) and 5,082 with LSM only. Among those treated with OGLDs, 60% received sulphonylureas (SUs), of whom 47% received gliclazide. The OGLD + LSM group had a lower mean EQ-5D-3L index score than the LSM-only group (p < 0.001). The most affected EQ-5D-3L dimensions in OGLD + LSM-treated patients were pain/discomfort (26.2%) and anxiety/depression (22.6%). On multivariate analysis, good HRQoL was positively associated with male sex, education level, balanced diet and regular exercise, and negatively with complications/comorbidities, self-reported hypoglycaemia, smoking, HbA1c, age, body mass index and disease duration. Patients receiving gliclazide vs non-gliclazide SUs had lower HbA1c and better HRQoL in all dimensions (p < 0.001). Demographic, physical and psychosocial-behavioural factors were associated with HRQoL in patients with T2DM. Our real-world data add to previous evidence that gliclazide is an effective OGLD, with most treated patients reporting good HRQoL. A plain language summary of this manuscript is available here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes is prevalent, and it imposes a substantial public health burden globally and in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. The cornerstone for optimizing diabetes management and treatment outcomes is glucose monitoring, the techniques of which have evolved from self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) to glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and to continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). Contextual differences with Western populations and limited regionally generated clinical evidence warrant regional standards of diabetes care, including glucose monitoring in APAC. Hence, the APAC Diabetes Care Advisory Board convened to gather insights into clinician-reported CGM utilization for optimized glucose monitoring and diabetes management in the region. We discuss the findings from a pre-meeting survey and an expert panel meeting regarding glucose monitoring patterns and influencing factors, patient profiles for CGM initiation and continuation, CGM benefits, and CGM optimization challenges and potential solutions in APAC. While CGM is becoming the new standard of care and a useful adjunct to HbA1c and SMBG globally, glucose monitoring type, timing, and frequency should be individualized according to local and patient-specific contexts. The results of this APAC survey guide methods for the formulation of future APAC-specific consensus guidelines for the application of CGM in people living with diabetes., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: ST is a paid member of APAC diabetes care advisory board and the Chair of the Abbott Diabetes Care Australian National Advisory Board for FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring; receives project-specific research funding from Abbott Diabetes Care for clinical studies of FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring; and is an Australian National Board member of the AstraZeneca Advisory Board, the Sanofi-Aventis Australian Advisory Board, and Australian Nevro Advisory Board. SL is a paid international advisory board member for Novo Nordisk, AstraZeneca, and Sanofi; has received honoraria for lectures from Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Boehringer Ingelheim, AstraZeneca, and MSD; and has received research funding from MSD, Astellas, Daiichi Sankyo, and CKD. S-HY, LC, and YB have no conflicts of interest to declare. AK has received honoraria for consultancy or speakership from Abbott, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Kyowa Kirin, Merck Serono, Nestle, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, and Sanofi. EY is a paid member of the APAC Abbott Advisory Board and has received speaker honoraria from Abbott, Medtronic, Novo Nordisk, and Boehringer Ingelheim. SPC has received honoraria as speaker and as a member of advisory boards from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Merck, Novo Nordisk, Servier, Sanofi-Aventis, ZP Therapeutics; and is a paid member of APAC Abbott Diabetes Care Advisory Board. JR is a paid member of the APAC Abbott Advisory Board and has received speaker honoraria from Abbott, Sanofi, Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Merck, MSD, Novartis, and Boehringer Ingelheim. VM has received honoraria, speaker support, and research grants from Abbott, MSD, Novo Nordisk, and Lifescan and has received speaker fees from Roche Diabetes Care, Medtronic, USV, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi-Aventis, and several Indian pharmaceutical companies. NC is a paid member of the Abbott Diabetes Care Australian National Advisory Board for FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring and has received research support from Boehringer Ingelheim, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Sanofi, Novo Nordisk, and Ypsomed. MM is a paid member of the APAC diabetes care advisory board and sits on the Abbott Diabetes Care Australian National Advisory Board for FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring; and receives lecture fees from Abbott Diabetes Care. LJ has received consulting and lecture fees from Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Merck, Bayer, Sanofi-Aventis, Roche, MSD, Medtronic, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Abbott.

The objective of this study was to provide recommendations regarding effectiveness, safety, optimal starting dose, optimal maintenance dose range, and target fasting plasma glucose of five basal insulins (glargine U-300, degludec U-100, glargine U-100, detemir, and insulin protamine Hagedorn) in insulin-naïve adult patients with type 2 diabetes in the Asia-Pacific region. Based on evidence from a systematic review, we developed an Asia-Pacific clinical practice guideline through comprehensive internal review and external review processes. We set up and used clinical thresholds of trivial, small, moderate, and large effects for different critical and important outcomes in the overall certainty of evidence assessment and balancing the magnitude of intervention effects when making recommendations, following GRADE methods (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation). The AGREE (Appraisal of Guidelines, Research and Evaluation) and RIGHT (Reporting Items for practice Guidelines in HealThcare) guideline reporting checklists were complied with. After the second-round vote by the working group members, all the recommendations and qualifying statements reached over 75% agreement rates. Among 44 contacted external reviewers, we received 33 clinicians' and one patient's comments. The overall response rate was 77%. To solve the four research questions, we made two strong recommendations, six conditional recommendations, and two qualifying statements. Although the intended users of this guideline focused on clinicians in the Asia-Pacific region, the eligible evidence was based on recent English publications. We believe that the recommendations and the clinical thresholds set up in the guideline can be references for clinicians who take care of patients with type 2 diabetes worldwide., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Diabetes published by Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Tirzepatide is a once-weekly GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist. In this phase 3, randomized, open-label trial, insulin-naive adults (≥18 years of age) with type 2 diabetes (T2D) uncontrolled on metformin (with or without a sulphonylurea) were randomized 1:1:1:1 to weekly tirzepatide 5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg or daily insulin glargine at 66 hospitals in China, South Korea, Australia and India. The primary endpoint was non-inferiority of mean change in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) from baseline to week 40 after treatment with 10 mg and 15 mg of tirzepatide. Key secondary endpoints included non-inferiority and superiority of all tirzepatide doses in HbA1c reduction, proportions of patients achieving HbA1c < 7.0% and weight loss at week 40. A total of 917 patients (763 (83.2%) in China) were randomized to tirzepatide 5 mg (n = 230), 10 mg (n = 228) or 15 mg (n = 229) or insulin glargine (n = 230). All doses of tirzepatide were non-inferior and superior to insulin glargine for least squares mean (s.e.) reduction in HbA1c from baseline to week 40: tirzepatide 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg, -2.24% (0.07), -2.44% (0.07) and -2.49% (0.07), respectively, and insulin glargine, -0.95% (0.07), with a treatment difference ranging from -1.29% to -1.54% (all P < 0.001). Proportions of patients achieving HbA1c < 7.0% at week 40 were greater in tirzepatide 5-mg (75.4%), 10-mg (86.0%) and 15-mg (84.4%) groups compared to insulin glargine (23.7%) (all P < 0.001). All tirzepatide doses led to superior body weight reduction at week 40: tirzepatide 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg, -5.0 kg (-6.5%), -7.0 kg (-9.3%) and -7.2 kg (-9.4%), respectively, compared to insulin glargine, 1.5 kg (+2.1%) (all P < 0.001). The most common adverse events with tirzepatide were mild to moderate decreased appetite, diarrhea and nausea. No severe hypoglycemia was reported. Tirzepatide demonstrated superior reductions in HbA1c versus insulin glargine in an Asia-Pacific, predominately Chinese, population with T2D and was generally well tolerated. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT04093752 ., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc.)

Aim: To compare the efficacy and safety of Gla-300 versus Gla-100 in insulin-naïve people with type 2 diabetes in Asia Pacific., Materials and Methods: In this open-label, randomized, active-controlled, 26-week study, insulin-naïve participants with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled with non-insulin antihyperglycaemic drugs were randomized (2:1) to Gla-300 or Gla-100. The initial daily dose of basal insulin was 0.2 U/kg and was adjusted at least weekly for 8-12 weeks to a target fasting self-monitored plasma glucose (SMPG) of 4.4-5.6 mmol/L., Results: Of the 604 participants randomized, 570 (Gla-300, n = 375; Gla-100, n = 195) completed the study. Non-inferiority of Gla-300 versus Gla-100 in HbA1c reduction from baseline to week 26 was confirmed. In the Gla-300 and Gla-100 groups, 51.1% and 52.2% of participants achieved the HbA1c target of <7.0% (rate ratio [95% CI]: 0.98 [0.84 to 1.14]) and 19.1% and 21.9% achieved the target without hypoglycaemia during the last 12 weeks of treatment (rate ratio [95% CI]: 0.87 [0.63 to 1.20]). Changes in fasting plasma glucose and 24-hour average eight-point SMPG were comparable between groups. Incidence of hypoglycaemia at any time of day was similar between treatment groups at week 26, but incidence of any nocturnal hypoglycaemia was numerically lower with Gla-300 than Gla-100 over the initial 12-week titration period and 26-week on-treatment period. Rates of adverse events were similar between groups and low for serious adverse events., Conclusions: Glycaemic control of Gla-300 is non-inferior to Gla-100 with a similar or lower incidence and proportion of hypoglycaemia in people with type 2 diabetes in Asia Pacific, reinforcing the results in the global EDITION programme., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: The efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, has been demonstrated predominantly in Western populations. This study examined the efficacy and safety of dapagliflozin in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) from eight Phase IIb/III double-blind trials of up to 24 weeks, treated with placebo (n = 497) or dapagliflozin 5 mg (n = 491) or 10 mg (n = 465)., Methods: Efficacy was assessed in the pooled population receiving dapagliflozin 5, 10 mg or placebo over 24 weeks. Safety and tolerability were assessed by collating data for overall adverse events (AEs) and AEs of special interest over the 24-week period., Results: Demographic and baseline characteristics were comparable across treatment groups. Placebo-corrected adjusted mean changes from baseline at 24 weeks in the dapagliflozin 5 and 10 mg groups, respectively, were -0.52% and -0.58% for HbA1c and -1.34 and -1.80 kg for body weight. Modest reductions in blood pressure were also noted with dapagliflozin. Overall, 56.5%, 53.6%, and 58.7% of patients in the placebo and dapagliflozin 5 and 10 mg groups, respectively, experienced AEs, compared with 2.8%, 4.1%, and 2.4% experiencing serious AEs. Genital infections were more frequent with dapagliflozin 10 mg than placebo, whereas the pattern for urinary tract infections was less clear. A transient reduction in mean estimated glomerular filtration rate was noted with dapagliflozin, but was not associated with an increased frequency of serious renal AEs. In contrast, placebo-corrected reductions in urinary albumin : creatinine ratio in patients with albuminuria at baseline suggest a potential renoprotective effect of dapagliflozin., Conclusion: Dapagliflozin was efficacious and well tolerated in Asian patients with T2DM., (© 2016 Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Background: The prevalence of diabetes is increasing in young adults in Asia, but little is known about metabolic control or the burden of associated complications in this population. We assessed the prevalence of young-onset versus late-onset type 2 diabetes, and associated risk factors and complication burdens, in the Joint Asia Diabetes Evaluation (JADE) cohort., Methods: JADE is an ongoing prospective cohort study. We enrolled adults with type 2 diabetes from 245 outpatient clinics in nine Asian countries or regions. We classified patients as having young-onset diabetes if they were diagnosed before the age of 40 years, and as having late-onset diabetes if they were diagnosed at 40 years or older. Data for participants' first JADE assessment was extracted for cross-sectional analysis. We compared clinical characteristics, metabolic risk factors, and the prevalence of complications between participants with young-onset diabetes and late-onset diabetes., Findings: Between Nov 1, 2007, and Dec 21, 2012, we enrolled 41,029 patients (15,341 from Hong Kong, 9107 from India, 7712 from Philippines, 5646 from China, 1751 from South Korea, 705 from Vietnam, 385 from Singapore, 275 from Thailand, 107 from Taiwan). 7481 patients (18%) had young-onset diabetes, with age at diagnosis of mean 32·9 years [SD 5·7] versus 53·9 years [9·0] with late-onset diabetes (n=33,548). Those with young-onset diabetes had longer disease duration (median 10 years [IQR 3-18]) than those with late-onset diabetes (5 years [2-11]). Fewer patients with young-onset diabetes achieved HbA1c concentrations lower than 7% compared to those with late-onset diabetes (27% vs 42%; p<0·0001) Patients with young-onset diabetes had higher mean concentrations of HbA1c (mean 8·32% [SD 2·03] vs 7·69% [1·82]; p<0·0001), LDL cholesterol (2·78 mmol/L [0·96] vs 2·74 [0·93]; p=0·009), and a higher prevalence of retinopathy (1363 [20%] vs 5714 (18%); p=0·011) than those with late-onset diabetes, but were less likely to receive statins (2347 [31%] vs 12,441 [37%]; p<0·0001) and renin-angiotensin-system inhibitors (1868 [25%] vs 9665 [29%]; p=0·006)., Interpretation: In clinic-based settings across Asia, one in five adult patients had young-onset diabetes. Compared with patients with late-onset diabetes, metabolic control in those with young-onset diabetes was poor, and fewer received organ-protective drugs. Given the risk conferred by long-term suboptimum metabolic control, our findings suggest an impending epidemic of young-onset diabetic complications., Funding: The Asia Diabetes Foundation (ADF) and Merck., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The First Basal Insulin Evaluation (FINE) Asia study is a multinational, prospective, observational study of insulin-naïve Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in Asia, uncontrolled (A1c ≥ 8%) on oral hypoglycemic agents, designed to evaluate the impact of basal insulin initiation., Methods: Basal insulin was initiated with or without concomitant oral therapy and doses were adjusted individually. All treatment choices, including the decision to initiate insulin, were at the physician's discretion to reflect real-life practice., Results: Patients (n=2679) from 11 Asian countries were enrolled (mean [±SD] duration of diabetes 9.3±6.5 years; weight 68.1±12.7 kg; A1c 9.8 ± 1.6%). After 6 months of basal insulin (NPH insulin, insulin glargine, or insulin detemir), A1c decreased to 7.7±1.4%; 33.7% patients reached A1c <7%. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) decreased from 11.7±3.6 to 7.2±2.5 mmol/L and 36.8% of patients reached FBG <6.1 mmol/L. The mean daily insulin dose prescribed increased marginally from 0.18 to 0.23 U/kg per day at baseline to 0.22-0.24 U/kg per day at Month 6. Mean changes in body weight and reported rates of hypoglycemia were low over the duration of the study., Conclusions: Initiation of insulin therapy is still being delayed by approximately 9 years, resulting in many Asian patients developing severe hyperglycemia. Initiating insulin treatment with basal insulin was effective and safe in Asian T2DM patients in a real-world setting, but insulin needs may differ from those in Western countries., (© 2011 Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.)