Variation in the achievement of HbA1c, blood pressure and LDL cholesterol targets in type 2 diabetes in general practice and characteristics associated with risk factor control.

Aims To identify population, general practitioner, and practice characteristics associated with the achievement of HbA1c, blood pressure and LDL cholesterol targets, and to describe variation in the achievement of risk factor control. Methods We conducted a cross‐sectional survey of 9342 people with type 2 diabetes, 281 general practitioners and 77 general practices in Norway. Missing values (7.4%) were imputed using multiple imputation by chained equations. We used three‐level logistic regression with the achievement of HbA1c, blood pressure and LDL cholesterol targets as dependent variables, and factors related to population, general practitioners, and practices as independent variables. Results Treatment targets were achieved for HbA1c in 64%, blood pressure in 50%, and LDL cholesterol in 52% of people with type 2 diabetes, and 17% met all three targets. There was substantial heterogeneity in target achievement among general practitioners and among practices; the estimated proportion of a GPs diabetes population at target was 55–73% (10–90 percentiles) for HbA1c, 36–63% for blood pressure, and 47–57% for LDL cholesterol targets. The models explained 11%, 5% and 14%, respectively, of the total variation in the achievement of HbA1c, blood pressure and LDL cholesterol targets. Use among general practitioners of a structured diabetes form was associated with 23% higher odds of achieving the HbA1c target (odds ratio 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–1.47) and 17% higher odds of achieving the LDL cholesterol target (odds ratio 1.17, 95% CI 1.01–1.35). Conclusions Clinical diabetes management is difficult, and few people meet all three risk factor control targets. The proportion of people reaching target varied among general practitioners and practices. Several population, general practitioner and practice characteristics only explained a small part of the total variation. The use of a structured diabetes form is recommended.publishedVersio

Exploring the relationship between coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes: a cross-sectional study of secondary prevention among diabetes patients

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke are the major causes of death among people with diabetes. Aim: To describe the prevalence and onset of CHD and stroke among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in primary care in Norway, and explore the quality of secondary prevention. Design & setting: A cross-sectional study of data was undertaken from electronic medical records (EMRs) of 10 255 patients with T2DM in general practice. The study took place in five counties of Norway (Oslo, Akershus, Rogaland, Hordaland, and Nordland). Quality of care was assessed based on national guideline recommendations. Method: Summary statistics with adjustments and binary logistic regression models were used. Results: In total, 2260 patients (22.1%) had CHD and 759 (7.4%) had stroke. South Asians had significantly more CHD than ethnic Norwegians (29.5%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 26.1 to 33.0 versus 21.5%, CI = 20.6 to 22.3) and other ethnic groups, and experienced onset of CHD or stroke at a mean of 7 years before Norwegians. In 47.9% of the patients, CHD was diagnosed before T2DM. Treatment target for low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol was reached for 30.0% and for systolic blood pressure (SBP) for 65.1% of the patients with CHD. Further, 20.9% of patients with CHD were present smokers, and only 5.0% of patients reached all four treatment targets (no smoking, HbA1c ≤7.0%, SBP <135 mmHg, LDL-cholesterol <1.8 mmol/l). Conclusion: The diagnosis of CHD preceded the diagnosis of T2DM in half of the patients. The prevalence of CHD was highest and onset earlier among ethnic South Asians. More intensive treatment of lipids, blood pressure, and smoking are needed in patients with T2DM and CHD

International comparison of glycaemic control in people with type 1 diabetes: an update and extension

Aims: To update and extend a previous cross-sectional international comparison of glycaemic control in people with type 1 diabetes. Methods: Data were obtained for 520,392 children and adults with type 1 diabetes from 17 population and five clinic-based data sources in countries or regions between 2016 and 2020. Median HbA1c(IQR) and proportions of individuals with HbA1c<58mmol/mol (<7.5%), 58 – 74 mmol/mol (7.5 – 8.9%) and ≥ 75 mmol/mol (≥ 9.0%) were compared between populations for individuals aged <15, 15 – 24 and ≥ 25years. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) of HbA1c< 58 mmol/mol (< 7.5%) relative to ≥ 58 mmol/mol (≥ 7.5%), stratified and adjusted for sex, age, and data source. Where possible, changes in the proportion of individuals in each HbA1c category compared to previous estimates were calculated. Results: Median HbA1c varied from 55 to 79 mmol/mol (7.2 to 9.4%) across data sources and age groups so a pooled estimate was deemed inappropriate. OR (95% CI) for HbA1c< 58 mmol/mol (<7.5 %) were 0.91 (0.90 – 0.92) for women compared to men, 1.68 (1.65 – 1.71) for people aged < 15 years and 0.81 (0.79 – 0.82) aged15 – 24 years compared to those aged ≥ 25 years. Differences between populations persisted after adjusting for sex, age, and data source. In general, compared to our previous analysis, the proportion of people with an HbA1c<58 mmol/l (<7.5%) increased and proportions of people with HbA1c≥ 75 mmol/mol (≥ 9.0%) decreased. Conclusions: Glycaemic control of type 1 diabetes continues to vary substantially between age groups and data sources. While some improvement over time has been observed, glycaemic control remains sub-optimal for most people with Type 1 diabetes