Summary
Background
Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is the only causal treatment for respiratory allergy. Long-term real-life effectiveness of AIT remains to be demonstrated beyond the evidence from randomised controlled trials (RCTs).
Methods
REACT (Real world effectiveness in allergy immunotherapy) is a retrospective cohort study using claims data between 2007 and 2017. Study eligibility was a confirmed diagnosis of allergic rhinitis (AR), with or without asthma, and AIT. To ensure comparable groups, AIT-treated subjects were propensity score matched 1:1 with control subjects, using characteristic and potential confounding variables. Outcomes were analysed as within (pre vs post AIT) and between (AIT vs control) group differences across 9 years of follow-up (ClinicalTrial.gov: NCT04125888).
Findings
46,024 AIT-treated subjects were matched with control subjects and 14,614 were included in the pre-existing asthma cohort. AIT-treated subjects were 29·5 (16·3) years and 53% were male. Compared to pre-index year, AIT was consistently associated with greater reductions compared to control subjects in AR and asthma prescriptions, including both asthma controller and reliever prescriptions. Additionally, the AIT group had significantly greater likelihood of stepping down asthma treatment (
P
<0·0001). In addition to the reduction in asthma treatment in the AIT group, a greater reduction in severe asthma exacerbations was demonstrated (
P
<0·05). Reductions in pneumonia with antibiotic prescriptions, hospitalisations, and duration of inpatients stays were all in favour of AIT.
Interpretation
The study extends the existing RCT evidence for AIT by demonstrating longer-term and sustained effectiveness of AIT in the real world. Additionally, in patients with concurrent asthma, AIT was associated with reduced likelihood of asthma exacerbations and pneumonia.
Funding
The study was funded by ALK A/S.
Although AR and ARC are sometimes perceived as trivial conditions, this review indicates that their effect on adolescent life is negative and far-reaching. It is critical that clinicians gain a greater understanding of the unique burden of AR and ARC in adolescents to ensure they receive prompt and appropriate care and treatment to improve clinical and academic outcomes.
The results of this analysis suggest that the reduced insulin utilization and fewer hypoglycemic episodes associated with IDeg may translate into reduced costs for payers. The model is limited by simplification of a complex disease state and assumptions surrounding disease state, treatment patterns, and costs. Therefore, results may not accurately reflect actual health plans or real-world practice patterns.
Weight cycling and regain were commonly observed. Subjects losing the most weight during the initial period were more likely to continue losing weight.
IntroductionWe investigated the association of bolus insulin dose timing with demographics, adherence, diabetes education program participation, experience with hypoglycemic events, glycemic control, and patient preference among respondents with type 2 diabetes.MethodsAdults with type 2 diabetes from 12 countries were recruited to a Web-based self-reported patient preference survey. Adherence was measured using an adapted Morisky Medication Adherence Scale questionnaire.ResultsIn total 1483 respondents reported using bolus insulin with 58% (n = 864) dosing bolus insulin before meals (pre-meal cohort), 354 (24%) during or after meals (post-meal cohort), and 265 (18%) before, during, or after meals (mixed cohort). The mixed cohort was excluded, thus 1218 respondents were included in the analysis. Respondent distribution across HbA1c category differed significantly depending on insulin dose timing (p = 0.0006); more respondents in the post-meal cohort (40%) had HbA1c ≥ 9% (74.9 mmol/mol) than in the pre-meal cohort (29%). The post-meal cohort was significantly more likely to report non-adherence than the pre-meal cohort (OR = 1.50, p = 0.01) and significantly more often reported participating in diabetes education programs (p < 0.05). Seventy-eight percent of all respondents reported preferring bolus insulin administrable whenever convenient.ConclusionsApproximately 24% of respondents never comply with guidelines for insulin dose timing, with higher risk of non-adherence and increased participation in diabetes care programs. Respondents dosing insulin post-meal are more likely to have poor glycemic control (HbA1c ≥ 9%, 74.9 mmol/mol). Given that many respondents had high HbA1c and were non-adherent, a treatment which satisfies patient preference for bolus insulin with flexible dose timing could be considered.FundingNovo Nordisk.
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