Effectiveness of Insulin Degludec/Insulin Aspart Combination Treatment in Routine Diabetes Management: A Retrospective Study in Bangladesh

A bstract Background: Insulin degludec/insulin aspart (IDegAsp) has shown favorable efficacy and safety profiles in international studies, but its real-world effectiveness remain underexplored in Bangladesh. This study aimed to evaluate glycemic control among patients with diabetes initiating or switching to IDegAsp in routine clinical practice in in the country. Materials and Methods: This retrospective analysis was conducted using patient records from the outpatient department of Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine, and Metabolic Disorders General Hospital. Patients aged ≥18 years with diabetes mellitus who received IDegAsp were included, with follow-up duration ranging from more than 1 week to 14 months (median 6.2 months). The primary outcome was the change in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels during the study period. Results: A total of 90 patients (mean age: 60.7 years; 54.4% [ n = 49] male) were analyzed. HbA1c levels significantly decreased from 9.24 ± 1.94% at baseline to 8.89 ± 1.68% at follow-up ( P = 0.041). HbA1c improvement was independent of the timing or frequency of IDegAsp administration, supporting its flexible use in the morning, evening, or night, and either once or twice daily as per patient preference. No extreme fluctuations in blood sugar were reported after initiation. Conclusion: This study highlights the effectiveness and flexibility associated with IDegAsp in routine diabetes care. Further large-scale studies are needed to confirm these findings.