A higher blood glucose level pre-breakfast in comparison to bedtime is a contraindication for intensification of prandial insulin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes - The impact of a negative BeAM value.

Aims: The BeAM value refers to the difference between a patient's blood glucose level at bedtime (Be) and the following morning before breakfast (AM). The clinical impact of a negative BeAM value (AM blood glucose reading compared to that taken at bedtime) is unknown.

Methods: T2DM patients of the OPAL and POC trials were pooled and their BeAM values calculated.

Results: From a total of 358 patients, 31 were calculated as having a negative BeAM value at baseline, while 182 had a high value. Patients in the negative BeAM group were younger, had shorter diabetes duration, and lower HbA1c levels. Fasting blood glucose levels were higher in the negative BeAM group, and these increased to a greater extent during the trial periods. No significant differences in hypoglycaemia occurrence were observed. Multivariate adjusted analysis indicated no association between a negative BeAM value and achievement of HbA1c < 7%, or composite endpoints that additionally included no hypoglycaemia and no weight gain.

Conclusions: Supplementation of BOT with prandial insulin is not beneficial for patients who have a higher blood glucose reading before breakfast in comparison to before bedtime. Further investigation into the cause of the high morning reading in these patients is indicated.