Type 2 diabetes: Prescription patterns and treatment outcomes of IDMPS survey in Argentina.

AIM: To assess prescription patterns for treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and their outcomes in the IDMPS survey in Argentina. METHODS: Data from 2551 people with T2D recruited from 210 physicians participating in IDMPS surveys in Argentina (2006 to 2012 waves) were recorded, including medical history, medications, glycemic control, blood pressure, and lipid status. RESULTS: Most people were treated with oral glucose-lowering drugs (OGLDs) (65%), followed by combinations of these drugs plus insulin (22%) and only insulin (13%). These percentages varied according to T2D duration, the frequency of OGLDs decreasing while contrastingly and only insulin increasing (under 5 years versus over 10 years of disease duration, respectively). Average systolic blood pressure (SBP), HbA1c and LDL-c were significantly higher in patients treated with insulin either alone or associated with OGLDs. The percentage of people at target values for these parameters was also lower in these two groups. The percentage of people that reached simultaneous goal treatment values for BP, HbA1c and LDL-c levels was markedly low. CONCLUSION: Prescription patterns for treatment of T2D follows a chronological trend and the percentage of people at goal values (HbA1c, BP and LDL-c values) was significantly lower in people receiving insulin. These data must be carefully considered by health and academic authorities in order to implement effective strategies to modify this situation.

Dyslipidemia: The untreated metabolic dysfunction in people with type 2 diabetes in Latin America. ARETAEUS study outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To assess oral antihyperglycemic agents (OAHA) and/or statin treatment initiation in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and time from diagnosis to both types of treatment initiation and intensification. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We reviewed 662 retrospective medical records of patients with T2D diagnosed by 31 general practitioner or specialist sites across Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil. Demographic and clinical information was abstracted from patients' medical records and summarized using descriptive statistics. Between-group differences were assessed with Student's t-test for continuous variables and Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. The starting time of each therapy (OAHA and statins, separately) was assessed using Kaplan-Meier estimates. RESULTS: At diagnosis, patients' mean age was 53 years; 44% had hypertension, 42% were obese, and 23% had dyslipidemia. During the 2-year follow-up, 95% of patients received OAHAs but only 29% of those eligible for statins received this prescription. Mean ±â€¯SD and median (Q1, Q3) time to first OAHA was 59 ±â€¯141 days and 1 (1, 31) day, respectively, and 230 ±â€¯232 days and 132 (30, 406) days, respectively, for a statin. During follow-up, 51-53% of patients with HbA1c/FPG values above target did not intensify hyperglycemia treatment. CONCLUSION: Dyslipidemia treatment in patients with T2D was delayed despite its known deleterious effect on atherosclerosis development and ß-cell mass/function. Anti-hyperglycemic treatment was not intensified when targets were not attained. This prescriptive inertia needs to be corrected because attainment of HbA1c treatment goals becomes more difficult, favoring the development of diabetes complications.

Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) and glycaemic control in Cameroon: Results of the International Diabetes Management Practices Study (IDMPS).

This study examined the relationship between self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) and glycaemic control among patients from Cameroon. A minority of patients with diabetes owned a blood glucose meter; of these patients, most performed SMBG inconsistently. The lack of SMBG may be a contributing factor to the poor glycaemic control in the country.

Economic aspects of the association between diabetes and depression: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The importance of co-morbid diabetes and depression is gaining increased attention. Quantifying the socio-economic and clinical impacts of co-morbidity is important given the high costs of these diseases. This review synthesised evidence on the economic impact of co-morbidity and potential cost-effectiveness of prevention and treatment strategies. METHODS: 11 databases from 1980 until June 2011 searched. In addition, websites and reference lists of studies scrutinised and hand search of selected journals performed. Reviewers independently assessed abstracts, with economic data extracted from relevant studies. RESULTS: 62 studies were identified. 47 examined the impact of co-morbidity on health care and other resource utilisation. 11 of these included productivity losses, although none quantified the impact of mortality. Most demonstrated an association between co-morbidity and increasing health service utilisation and cost. Adverse impacts on workforce participation and absenteeism were found. 15 economic evaluations were also identified. Most focused on primary care led collaborative and/or stepped care, suggesting actions may be cost effective. We did not identify any studies looking at actions to reduce the risk of diabetes in people with depression. LIMITATIONS: Most studies are set in the US, which may be due to focus on English language databases. Few studies looked at impacts beyond one year or outside the health care system. CONCLUSIONS: There is an evidence base demonstrating the adverse economic impacts of co-morbid diabetes and depression and potential for cost effective intervention. This evidence base might be strengthened through modelling studies on cost effectiveness using different time periods, contexts and settings.