By Colin Kenny, Editor – Diabetes Distilled
This study was a retrospective cohort analysis of a primary-care-based population from the Royal College of General Practitioners Research and Surveillance Centre cohort. The investigators identified 60,327 new prescriptions for oral diabetes medication in people living with type 2 diabetes between 1 January 2004 and 31 July 2015. They found that the majority (42,810 [70.9%]) of those had one or more oral medications prescribed, and they measured persistence with therapy in these individuals.
Metformin was found to have the longest median persistence. The likelihood of non-persistence compared with metformin was assessed using a hazard ratio (HR) analysis (the higher the number, the less likely the persistence with the agent): SGLT 2 inhibitors – HR, 1.04; sulfonylureas – HR, 1.20; dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors – HR, 1.43; thiazolidinediones – HR, 1.71; meglitinides – HR, 2.25; and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors – HR, 2.45. The analysis of SGLT 2 inhibitors was limited by the short duration of follow-up for this new class. Other factors associated with reduced medication persistence were female gender, younger age and non-white ethnicity. In summary, persistence was influenced by medication class and should be considered when initiating treatments.
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