RESUMEN
RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Regional variation in chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevalence in patients with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has not been well characterized. STUDY DESIGN: Spatial and temporal comparative analysis. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: MarketScan databases were used to identify patients with CKD overall and subgroups of patients with CKD with and without T2DM in the United States. OUTCOMES: Spatial patterns in CKD prevalence based on year, regional clusters of CKD between years, and characteristics of patients in high-prevalence states. ANALYTICAL APPROACH: Geomapping was used to visualize the state-level data of CKD prevalence generated from 2013 to 2018. We used univariate local indicators of spatial association (LISA) to evaluate geographic differences in prevalence, differential LISA for changes in CKD prevalence over time, and the χ2 test to identify patient characteristics in the top-20th percentile states for the prevalence of CKD. RESULTS: In univariate LISA, low-low clusters, in which a state has a low CKD prevalence and the surrounding states have a below-average CKD prevalence, were observed in the northwest region throughout the study period, regardless of the T2DM status, indicating a consistently low prevalence of CKD clustered in these areas. High-high clusters were observed, regardless of the T2DM status, in the southeast region in more recent years, suggesting an increased CKD prevalence in this region. LIMITATIONS: Health care insurance enrollment might not have been representative of the United States; the estimates were based on claims data that likely underestimated the true prevalence. CONCLUSIONS: Geographic disparities in CKD prevalence appear increasingly magnified, with an increase in the southeastern region of the United States. This increase is especially problematic because patients with CKD in high-prevalence states experience a greater likelihood of chronic conditions than those in the rest of the United States.
RESUMEN
Objective: To describe patient characteristics, concerns, side effects, treatment satisfaction, and quality of life (QoL) of rosacea patients currently being treated with monotherapy azelaic acid foam based on patient-reported data. Methods: The study utilized a non-interventional, prospective, observational design. Patients were recruited in the United States and were eligible if the following criteria were met: diagnosed with rosacea by a medical professional, ≥18 years of age, currently receiving monotherapy with azelaic acid foam, and able to provide informed consent. Patients using other topical treatments for rosacea during enrollment were excluded. An online tool administered a survey of 3 questionnaires including the Rosacea Treatment Preference Questionnaire, Treatment Satisfaction with Medicines Questionnaire (SATMED-Q), and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). The survey collected demographics, clinical characteristics, treatment history, adverse events, and patient-reported outcomes related to treatment with azelaic acid foam and QoL with rosacea. Results: 54 patients met eligibility criteria. Participants were primarily female (90.7%), ranging from 26 to 63 years of age. The most common subtypes reported were erythematotelangiectatic and papulopustular (74.1% each) with 59.3% of participants reporting mild symptoms (16.7% "absent"; 24.1% "moderate") in the 4 weeks before enrollment. The majority reported no concerns (74.1%) with their treatment. The biggest concern was cost (11.1%), with a mean importance score (IS) on a 10-point scale of 9.3. A majority (77.8%) of patients reported no side effects. Side effects reported included dryness (13%; IS: 5.3), stinging (7.4%, IS: 2.5), itching (5.6%; IS: 4.7), or burning (3.7%; IS: 7.0). Global satisfaction (SATMED-Q) mean score was 79.0 and treatment effectiveness mean score was 70.8. QoL impact of rosacea was minimal (mean DLQI score: 2.35). In regression models, increasing dryness was significantly associated with worsening outcomes in SATMED-Q and DLQI. Conclusions: Patient characteristics of the study population closely mirror the distribution of rosacea by gender and subtype as in previous estimates. Findings indicate minimal patient concerns with azelaic acid foam and primarily pertained to cost. Patient-reported side effects were rare. Minor patient-reported side effects and concerns do not appear to affect rosacea-related QoL and medication satisfaction. Compared to a previously conducted study of similar design with patients using metronidazole gel and metronidazole cream, more patients in the current study reported no concerns with their treatment, while the number of patients reporting no side effects, as well as mean SATMED-Q and DLQI scores, were similar. Further research is necessary to directly compare the results of these 2 studies. J Drugs Dermatol. 2019;18(4):381-386.
