Background: New methods of antidiabetic treatments have been recently introduced in Italy. Given the introduction of such new medications as well as the increased prevalence of diabetes, it is important to understand how patients are being treated. Objectives: To examine type 2 diabetes prevalence in Italy and related prescribing trends in the early 21st century. Methods: We conducted a descriptive study during 2000– 2003, using information from 320 Italian general practitioners providing data to the SIMG/Health Search Database. All patients with a doctor-diagnosis of type 2 diabetes were selected. To assess prescribing trends, prevalent patients in the years 2000–3 were considered. For each patient, drug therapy was defined as the presence of an antidiabetic prescription within each year of observation. Drug therapy was defined as ‘monotherapy’ when only one diabetes drug class was prescribed, whereas ‘combination therapy’ was defined as at least two or more prescriptions with different diabetes drug classes within each year. Results: Age-adjusted prevalence of type 2 diabetes for all persons in Italy increased from 3.6% in 2000 to 6.1% in 2003. There was no significant difference in the prescribed antidiabetic therapies throughout the years studied. Oral combination of sulfonylureas plus biguanides represented the most common used drug with 25.8% of total users in 2003, followed by sulfonylureas (15.2%) and biguanides (7.8%) alone. Overall, monotherapy was preferentially chosen by physicians for patients with good control (7% of glycosylated haemoglobin [HbA1c]) (36.8%). Compared to patients with good control, patients with poor control (HbA1c>9.5) were prescribed approximately twice as many oral therapy combinations (23.9% vs 42.8%; p<0.05) and were prescribed insulin plus oral therapy four times as often (3.6% vs 14.6%; p<0.05). Conclusions: In Italy recent antihyperglycemic prescribing trends did not significantly change. Overall, the results suggest a movement towards combination therapies among patients with higher HbA1c levels, presumably an attempt to achieve better glucose control.
Mazzaglia, G., Yurgin, N., Secnik, K., Medea, G., Cricelli, C. (2006). Antihyperglycemic prescribing trends for patients with type 2 diabetes in italy: A descriptive study in primary care. Intervento presentato a: International Conference on Pharmacoepidemiology and Therapeutic Risk Management, Lisbon, Portugal.
Antihyperglycemic prescribing trends for patients with type 2 diabetes in italy: A descriptive study in primary care
Mazzaglia, G
;
2006
Abstract
Background: New methods of antidiabetic treatments have been recently introduced in Italy. Given the introduction of such new medications as well as the increased prevalence of diabetes, it is important to understand how patients are being treated. Objectives: To examine type 2 diabetes prevalence in Italy and related prescribing trends in the early 21st century. Methods: We conducted a descriptive study during 2000– 2003, using information from 320 Italian general practitioners providing data to the SIMG/Health Search Database. All patients with a doctor-diagnosis of type 2 diabetes were selected. To assess prescribing trends, prevalent patients in the years 2000–3 were considered. For each patient, drug therapy was defined as the presence of an antidiabetic prescription within each year of observation. Drug therapy was defined as ‘monotherapy’ when only one diabetes drug class was prescribed, whereas ‘combination therapy’ was defined as at least two or more prescriptions with different diabetes drug classes within each year. Results: Age-adjusted prevalence of type 2 diabetes for all persons in Italy increased from 3.6% in 2000 to 6.1% in 2003. There was no significant difference in the prescribed antidiabetic therapies throughout the years studied. Oral combination of sulfonylureas plus biguanides represented the most common used drug with 25.8% of total users in 2003, followed by sulfonylureas (15.2%) and biguanides (7.8%) alone. Overall, monotherapy was preferentially chosen by physicians for patients with good control (7% of glycosylated haemoglobin [HbA1c]) (36.8%). Compared to patients with good control, patients with poor control (HbA1c>9.5) were prescribed approximately twice as many oral therapy combinations (23.9% vs 42.8%; p<0.05) and were prescribed insulin plus oral therapy four times as often (3.6% vs 14.6%; p<0.05). Conclusions: In Italy recent antihyperglycemic prescribing trends did not significantly change. Overall, the results suggest a movement towards combination therapies among patients with higher HbA1c levels, presumably an attempt to achieve better glucose control.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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