Glycemic control after initiating basal insulin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes: a primary care database analysis

Figures & data

Table 1 Characteristics of type 2 diabetes patients in general practices stratified by glycemic control after first year of initiating basal insulin therapy (Disease Analyzer, Germany)

	All	HbA1c ≤6.5%a	HbA1c >6.5%a	Odds ratiob (95% CI), univariable	Odds ratiob (95% CI), multivariable
n	4,062	295	3,767		–
Male sex (%)	53.1	62.7*	52.3*	1.53 (1.20–1.96)	1.58 (1.23–2.04)
Age (years)	65.9 (11.9)	66.1 (12.4)	65.8 (11.9)	1.00 (0.99–1.01)	1.00 (0.99, 1.01)
Diabetes duration (years)	4.8 (3.5)	4.8 (3.9)	4.8 (3.5)	1.00 (0.97–1.04)	0.99 (0.96, 1.03)
Diabetologist care (%)	20.5	15.9*	20.9*	0.72 (0.52–0.99)	0.83 (0.58–1.19)
Private insurance (%)	4.7	6.1	4.6	1.36 (0.82–2.42)	1.22 (0.73–2.04)
HbA1c (%) (baseline)	8.8 (1.6)	9.0 (1.9)	8.8 (1.6)	1.06 (0.99–1.14)	1.04 (0.97, 1.12)
Glargine (%)	45.3	55.6*	44.5*	1.44 (1.12–1.86)c	1.43 (1.09–1.88)c
Detemir (%)	15.2	9.8*	15.6*	0.73 (0.49–1.11)d	0.73 (0.48–1.12)d
NPH insulins (%)	39.5	34.6	39.9	(Reference)	(Reference)
Short-acting insulins (%)	43.7	44.4	43.6	1.03 (0.81–1.31)	1.33 (1.01–1.76)
Metformin (%)e	56.3	63.4*	55.7*	1.38 (1.08–1.76)	1.50 (1.16–1.95)
Sulfonylureas (%)e	37.9	36.6	38.0	0.94 (1.74–1.20)	0.85 (0.65–1.11)
DPP-4 inhibitorse (%)	19.5	25.4*	19.1*	1.45 (1.10–1.91)	1.49 (1.11–1.99)
Lipid lowering drugse (%)b	41.8	37.6	42.1	0.83 (0.65–1.06)	0.69 (0.54–0.90)
Diureticse (%)	34.4	43.4*	33.7*	1.51 (1.19–1.92)	1.60 (1.23–2.10)

Notes: Data are shown as the mean ± standard deviation or proportion (%)

* P<0.05

a last recorded HbA_1c during one year of follow-up after initiating basal insulin therapy

b odds ratios were computed using multivariable logistic regression (dependent variable: HbA_1c ≤6.5% versus >6.5%) including all variables in the table and further adjusting for macrovascular (coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke) and microvascular (retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy) complications (data not shown, all complications not significantly associated with glycemic control had P>0.05)

c glargine versus NPH

d detemir versus NPH

e at least one prescription before initiating basal insulin.

Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; DPP-4, dipeptidyl peptidase; NPH, neutral protamine Hagedorn; HbA_1c, glycated hemoglobin.