A follow-up study of the occurrence and consequences of HbA1c measurements in an unselected cohort of non-pharmacologically treated patients with Type 2 diabetes

Objectives

To describe the occurrence of HbA1c measurements among non-pharmacologically treated diabetes patients, and to evaluate whether poor blood glucose regulation (HbA1c >8%) prompted intensification of treatment.

Method

Data from the National Health Service Registry, the Regional Laboratory Database and the Danish National Hospital Registry were collected from 2002 to 2004 to identify and describe all Type 2 diabetic patients above 40 years of age in a background population of nearly 660 000 citizens in Aarhus County, corresponding to 12% of the total Danish population.

Results

A total of 1989 had at least one HbA1c measurement, whereas 484 (20%) had no HbA1c measurement at all in 2003. Most patients had an HbA1c of less than 8%, and for 820 (41%) HbA1c was less than 6.5%, but for 316 (16%) patients, the first HbA1c measurement in 2003 was above 8%. After 6 months, patients with HbA1c above 8% had a higher probability of initiating pharmacological treatment (M; 0.64; 95% CI 0.58–0.70) (F; 0.68; 95% CI 0.58–0.77) than patients with HbA1c below 8% (M; 0.12; 95% CI 0.10–0.14) (F; 0.11; 95% CI 0.09–0.14).

Conclusion

This study indicates that poor blood glucose regulation (HbA1c >8%) prompted a shift from non-pharmacological treatment to pharmacological treatment for most patients. However, a substantial group of patients are either not monitored on a regular basis or, if monitored, their elevated measurements of HbA1c do not prompt initiation of pharmacological treatment.