RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether oral lipid-lowering drugs (OLL) are used in line with the Mexican Official Regulation (NOM)-015-SSA-1994 for preventing, treating, and monitoring diabetes mellitus 2 (DM2) patients. DESIGN: Observational, descriptive study. SETTING: Primary care. Unit of Family Medicine (UMF) No. 80 of the Mexican Social Security Institute. PARTICIPANTS: 332 patients diagnosed with DM2, taking pharmacological treatment and with recent laboratory studies. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Age, body mass index (BMI), years of evolution of diabetes, type of medication and OLL dose, time taking OLL, glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. The patients were divided into 2 groups on the basis of the BMI: group 1 with BMI<27; group 2 >=27. In addition, each group was sub-divided by the type of medication. RESULTS: Glibenclamide was the OLL most prescribed (52% in both groups). In group 1 there were significant intra-group differences between patient's age and years of evolution of diabetes, whereas in group 2 only the metformin sub-group was associated with lower glucose concentrations and higher concentrations of triglycerides than in the other sub-groups. All patients had deficient glucaemia control. CONCLUSIONS: The data show that OLL treatment for DM2 patients varied from the NOM. Unification of criteria in primary care for the prescription pattern and the use of OLL for better metabolic control of this kind of patient were recommended.