Treatment of the dawn phenomenon in diabetes mellitu.

Ten subjects with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus from a diabetic clinic setting in Salt Lake City, Utah participated in a descriptive study which consisted of two phases: Phase I, a 1-month control period, with subjects taking a twice daily mixture of regular and intermediate-acting insulin before breakfast and before dinner, and Phase II, a 1-month period in which and same subjects changed their evening intermediate-acting insulin to before bedtime. Seven subjects measured their blood glucose twice daily before breakfast and before dinner using the meter of their choice. A comparison between the before-breakfast grand means for Phases I and II showed a significant difference (p<.025); however, there was no significant when comparing the before-dinner grand means. Improvement was evidence in 4 subjects' pre-breakfast and 3 subject's pre-dinner blood glucose values. Two subjects with normal values initially showed no change and 2 with Type II diabetes did not improve. Individuals with Type I diabetes mellitus and with persistently elevated morning blood glucose values with or without nocturnal hypoglycemia can benefit from the easy-to-initiate and cost-effective regimen.