Hemoglobin A1c, comorbid conditions and all-cause mortality in older patients with diabetes: a retrospective 9-year cohort study

How does HbA1c predict mortality and readmission in patients with heart failure? A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Accumulating evidence suggests that HbA1c levels, a common clinical indicator of chronic glucose metabolism over the preceding 2-3 months, are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including heart failure. However, conflicting evidence obscures clear cutoffs of HbA1c levels in various heart failure populations. The aim of this review is to assess the possible predictive value and optimal range of HbA1c on mortality and readmission in patients with heart failure.

METHODS

A systematic and comprehensive search will be performed using PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library databases before December 2022 to identify relevant studies. All-cause mortality is the prespecified primary endpoint. Cardiovascular death and heart failure readmission are secondary endpoints of interest. We will only include prospective and retrospective cohort studies and place no restrictions on the language, race, region, or publication period. The ROBINS-I tool will be used to assess the quality of each included research. If there were sufficient studies, we will conduct a meta-analysis with pooled relative risks and corresponding 95% confidence intervals to evaluate the possible predictive value of HbA1c for mortality and readmission. Otherwise, we will undertake a narrative synthesis. Heterogeneity and publication bias will be assessed. If heterogeneity was significant among included studies, a sensitivity analysis or subgroup analysis will be used to explore the source of heterogeneity, such as diverse types of heart failure or patients with diabetes and non-diabetes. Additionally, we will conduct meta-regression to examine the time-effect and treatment-effect modifiers on all-cause mortality compared between different quantile of HbA1c levels. Finally, a restricted cubic spline model may be used to explore the dose-response relationship between HbA1c and adverse outcomes.

DISCUSSION

This planned analysis is anticipated to identify the predictive value of HbA1c for mortality and readmission in patients with heart failure. Improved understanding of different HbA1c levels and their specific effect on diverse types of heart failure or patients with diabetes and non-diabetes is expected to be figured out. Importantly, a dose-response relationship or optimal range of HbA1c will be determined to instruct clinicians and patients.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registration details: CRD42021276067.

Low stress hyperglycemia ratio predicts worse prognosis in diabetic acute heart failure patients

INTRODUCTION

Acute blood glucose but not glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) predicts poor outcome in acute heart failure (HF). The stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR) has been proposed as a prognostic predictor in various clinical settings.

OBJECTIVES

We assessed the prognostic implications of the SHR in acute HF patients with and without diabetes.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of an acute HF registry conducted between 2009 and 2010. Estimated average glucose (eAG) was calculated as (28.7×HbA1c)-46.7 and SHR as acute blood glucose divided by eAG. The primary endpoint was all-cause mortality. Follow-up was three months. Patients were grouped by SHR tertiles (≤0.88, 0.89-1.16, and >1.16). Cox regression analysis was used to test the association of SHR (cut-off 0.88) with all-cause mortality. Analysis was stratified according to the presence of diabetes. Multivariate models were built accounting for acute blood glucose and for eAG (models 1 and 2, respectively).

RESULTS

We studied 599 patients, mean age 76±12 years, of whom 62.1% had reduced ejection fraction and 50.9% had diabetes. Median acute blood glucose, eAG and SHR were 136 (107-182) mg/dl, 131 (117-151) mg/dl, and 1.02 (0.20-3.34), respectively. During follow-up 102 (17.0%) died. In patients with diabetes, those in the lowest SHR tertile had a hazard ratio (HR) of 2.24 (95% CI: 1.05-5.22) (model 1) and 2.34 (1.25-4.38) (model 2). In patients without diabetes, the HR of three-month death in the lowest SHR tertile was 0.71 (95% CI: 0.36-1.39) and 1.02 (0.58-1.81). Significant interaction was observed between diabetes and SHR.

CONCLUSIONS

In HF patients with diabetes, a SHR ≤0.88 was associated with a more than twofold higher three-month mortality risk. No such association was found in non-diabetic patients. The presence of diabetes influences the association of the SHR with mortality.

The association between long-term glycemic control and all-cause mortality is different among older versus younger patients with diabetes mellitus and maintenance hemodialysis treatment

AIMS

Knowledge about association between glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and risk of all-cause mortality in patients with diabetes mellitus on maintenance hemodialysis (HD)-treatment is sparse. The study aims to investigate association between HbA1c and all-cause mortality in patients with diabetes and maintenance HD-treatment, separately for two age groups- above and below 75 years.

METHODS

2487 patients (mean age 66 years, 66 % men) were separated in two age groups: ≤75 years (n = 1810) and > 75 years (n = 677) and followed up between 2008 and 2018. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) for associations between HbA1c and all-cause mortality were calculated using Cox-regression-models.

RESULTS

1295 (52 %) patients died and 473 (70 %) among the patients above 75 years old. In the multivariate analysis, HbA1c5-6 % was used as reference. In patients ≤ 75 years old, only increased HbA1c > 9.7 %, HR2.03(CI1.43-2.89) was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality. In patients > 75 years, HbA1c ≤ 5 %, HR1.67(CI1.16-2.40); HbA1c6.9-7.8 %, HR1.41(CI1.03-1.93) and HbA1c8.7-9.7 %, HR1.79 (CI1.08-2.96) were associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

We found a J-shaped association between HbA1c and mortality only in diabetic HD-patients > 75 years. This probably indicates that in an old population of diabetic HD-patients, both intensive glucose control and hyperglycemia could be harmful and associated with higher risk of death.

Glycated hemoglobin levels and risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in hemodialysis patients with diabetes

AIM

Adequate glycemic control is fundamental for improving clinical outcomes in hemodialysis patients with diabetes. However, the target for glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level and whether cause-specific mortality differs based on HbA1c levels remain unclear.

METHODS

A total of 24,243 HD patients with diabetes were enrolled from a multicenter, nationwide registry. We examined the association between HbA1c levels and the risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

RESULTS

Compared to patients with HbA1c 6.5%-7.5%, patients with HbA_1c 8.5-9.5% and ≥9.5% were associated with a 1.26-fold (95% CI, 1.12-1.42) and 1.56-fold (95% CI, 1.37-1.77) risk for all-cause mortality. The risk of all-cause mortality did not increase in patients with HbA1c < 5.5%. In cause-specific mortality, the risk of cardiovascular deaths significantly increased from small increase of HbA1c levels. However, the risk of other causes of death increased only in patients with HbA1c > 9.5%. The slope of HR increase with increasing HbA1c levels was significantly faster for cardiovascular causes than for other causes.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a linear relationship between HbA1c levels and risk of all-cause mortality in hemodialysis patients, and the risk of cardiovascular death increased earlier and more rapidly, with increasing HbA1c levels, compared with other causes of death.

Scientific independence and objectivity: many questions linger about treatment of type 2 diabetes, such as scientific study design, optimal glucose control and the safety of injecting exogenous insulin

Whilst clinical guidelines exist for the treatment of people with type 2 diabetes, many underlying assumptions are still not qualified by convincing evidence. In this commentary, it is argued that fundamental issues still cloud clinical practice, such as biases in the design of clinical studies, the association between glucose control & clinical outcomes, and the safety of exposure to exogenous insulin and other glucose-lowering drugs. Relevant scientific evidence and alternative opinions about important issues continue to be largely ignored, and no effort has been made to resolve these questions. This may have had serious consequences, such as stifling innovation because there are no further benefits to be achieved in relation to glucose control.

Physiological monitoring of the complex multimorbid heart failure patient - diabetes and monitoring glucose control

Heart failure (HF) is a global epidemic, particularly affecting the elderly and/or frail patients often with comorbidities. Amongst the comorbidities, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is highly prevalent and associated with higher morbidity and mortality. We review the detection and treatment of T2DM in HF and the need to balance the risk of hypoglycaemia and overall glycaemic control. Despite large attributable risks, T2DM is often underdiagnosed in HF. Therefore there is a need for systematic monitoring (screening) for undetected T2DM in HF patients. Given that patients with HF are at greater risk for developing T2DM compared with the general population, an emphasis also has to be placed on regular reassessment of glycaemic status during follow-up. Therefore, glucose-lowering therapies (e.g. sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, SGLT-2 inhibitors) with a known benefit for the prevention or delay of HF hospitalization could be considered early in the course of T2DM, to optimise treatment and reduce cardiovascular (CV) risk. Although intensive glycaemic control has been shown to effectively reduce the risk of microvascular complications in T2DM, these same trials have shown either no reduction in CV outcomes, or even an increase in mortality with tight glycaemic control (i.e. targeting HbA1c levels <7.0%). More lenient glycaemic targets (e.g. HbA1c levels 7.0-8.0%) may be more appropriate for HF patients with T2DM. The 2016 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of HF proposed metformin as the first-line therapy, given its long-standing use and low risk of hypoglycaemia. More recently, several novel glucose lowering-medications have been introduced, including dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA), and SGLT-2 inhibitors. The most consistent reduction in the risk of HF hospitalisation has been shown with the three SGLT-2 inhibitors (empagliflozin, canagliflozin and dapagliflozin) which now offer improved outcomes in patients with both HF and T2DM.

Reducing the Burden of Mortality in Older People With Diabetes: A Review of Current Research

This review considers the burden of mortality observed in the older population of people with diabetes and identifies the risk factors associated with mortality hazard in this population. The mortality gap between older people with and without diabetes is enduring, with excess mortality being 10% greater than in the general population. While early mortality in men with diabetes is significantly greater than females with diabetes, the relative mortality risk in females is much higher compared to women without diabetes. Older people who have developed diabetes in middle age have significantly higher mortality hazard compared to those who develop it in old age, emphasizing the continued importance of optimizing diabetes care in all ages. To minimize mortality hazard in older age it is important to address some of the factors that convey risk, these include: comorbidity; polypharmacy; physical and mental frailty; safe glycemic targets for older people; hypoglycemia; glycemic targets; and the hypoglycemic agents. While the data to determine optimal management approaches are limited, the overall need is for a more diligent approach in assessing the needs of older people with diabetes to inform individualized care strategies and therapy goals that minimize potential hazards.

Relationship between hemoglobin A1c and serum troponin in patients with diabetes and cardiovascular events

Objectives

Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders associated with high risk for cardiovascular disease. Although troponins are primarily clinically used for the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome, they are also used in risk assessment in patients with acute coronary syndrome as well as in a number of other conditions. The aim of this review was to investigate the relationship between hemoglobin A1c and serum troponin in patients with diabetes and cardiovascular events.

Methods

Hemoglobin A1_c has been chosen as the best clinical indicator of glucose control and risk of micro and macrovascular complications. We investigated cardiac troponins as a group of markers of muscle injury which includes troponin T, troponin I and troponin C. Troponin T and I are specific for myocardial injury, compared to C which is specific for skeletal muscle.

Results

In this review, we showed that there was a causal relation between hemoglobin A1_c levels and serum troponin concentrations. Hemoglobin A1_c has shown to be a positive predictive factor of incidence, mortality and morbidity of conditions such as acute coronary syndrome, arrhythmias, stroke, pulmonary embolism and other conditions that causes troponin elevation by its release in circulation.

Conclusions

Chronic hyperglycemia decreases glomerular filtration and consequently decreases troponin elimination and also by affecting the heart microcirculation it leads to microvascular damage and consequently to ischemia which contribute to troponin concentration elevation. Furthermore, correlation between hemoglobin A1_c and troponin concentration manifests in their prognostic value for mortality.

Association Between Hemoglobin A1c and Major Adverse Coronary Events in Patients with Diabetes Following Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

INTRODUCTION

Diabetes is associated with a higher risk of major adverse coronary events (MACE) following coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Guidelines recommend disparate targets for glycemic control of patients with diabetes who have undergone CABG, ranging from a target hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of < 7.0% to 7.1-8.5%, based on data from non-CABG patients. To date, no study has evaluated the long-term impact of HbA1c concentrations on MACE post-CABG.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between HbA1c and MACE in CABG patients with diabetes.

METHODS

A secondary analysis of the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation 2 Diabetes (BARI2D) trial, which enrolled patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease, restricted to participants who underwent CABG with ≥ 1 HbA1c measurement post-CABG, was performed. The index date was date of first post-CABG HbA1c measurement. The primary outcome was MACE (composite of death, myocardial infarction, unstable angina, or repeat revascularization). Secondary outcomes included MACE components and heart failure. Cox proportional hazards models treating HbA1c as a time-dependent exposure (reference group: HbA1c 6.1-7.0%) were used to derive hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals adjusting for age, sex and baseline characteristics selected by stepwise regression.

RESULTS

A total of 549 patients were followed over a median 3.5 years. The median age of the cohort was 64 years, 25.1% were female, and median baseline HbA1c was 6.7%. Compared to achieving an HbA1c 6.1-7.0%, HbA1c > 8.0% was associated with an increased risk of MACE (HR 1.77, 1.01-3.10). This association was strongest for unstable angina (HR 5.21, 1.03-26.39). Achieving an HbA1c ≤ 6.0% was associated with an increased risk of death (HR 2.41, 1.01-5.74). Other comparisons were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Among patients with type 2 diabetes who underwent CABG, achieving HbA1c 6.1-7.0% was associated with a lower risk of MACE and unstable angina versus achieving an HbA1c > 8.0% and lower risk of death versus achieving an HbA1c ≤ 6.0%.

European Society of Cardiology/Heart Failure Association position paper on the role and safety of new glucose-lowering drugs in patients with heart failure

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is common in patients with heart failure (HF) and associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Significant advances have recently occurred in the treatment of T2DM, with evidence of several new glucose-lowering medications showing either neutral or beneficial cardiovascular effects. However, some of these agents have safety characteristics with strong practical implications in HF [i.e. dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA), and sodium-glucose co-transporter type 2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors]. Regarding safety of DPP-4 inhibitors, saxagliptin is not recommended in HF because of a greater risk of HF hospitalisation. There is no compelling evidence of excess HF risk with the other DPP-4 inhibitors. GLP-1 RAs have an overall neutral effect on HF outcomes. However, a signal of harm suggested in two small trials of liraglutide in patients with reduced ejection fraction indicates that their role remains to be defined in established HF. SGLT-2 inhibitors (empagliflozin, canagliflozin and dapagliflozin) have shown a consistent reduction in the risk of HF hospitalisation regardless of baseline cardiovascular risk or history of HF. Accordingly, SGLT-2 inhibitors could be recommended to prevent HF hospitalisation in patients with T2DM and established cardiovascular disease or with multiple risk factors. The recently completed trial with dapagliflozin has shown a significant reduction in cardiovascular mortality and HF events in patients with HF and reduced ejection fraction, with or without T2DM. Several ongoing trials will assess whether the results observed with dapagliflozin could be extended to other SGLT-2 inhibitors in the treatment of HF, with either preserved or reduced ejection fraction, regardless of the presence of T2DM. This position paper aims to summarise relevant clinical trial evidence concerning the role and safety of new glucose-lowering therapies in patients with HF.

Palliative and end of life care of people with diabetes: Issues, challenges and strategies

Palliative and end of life care are essential, but largely overlooked, aspects of comprehensive, personalised diabetes care. Life expectancy is lower in people with diabetes than in the general population due to complications and comorbidities, especially those associated with obesity such as cardiovascular disease, frailty and cancer. This paper makes the case for early initiation of palliative care and proactive planning for end of life. Early use of palliative care improves symptom management, comfort and quality of life, and often improves function. Significantly, it reduces disease burden and unnecessary treatment. Prognostication is challenging, but tools such as the Gold Standard Framework and diabetes-related indicators of reduced life expectancy can help identify those at high risk one year mortality. Skilled conversations, underpinned by an evidence-based framework, are a critical component in helping people with diabetes, and their families, discuss these complex issues and make appropriate advance care plans based on their values and preferences.

Higher mortality rate in patients with heart failure who are taking commonly prescribed antidiabetic medications and achieve recommended levels of glycaemic control

Current guidelines for diabetes recommend that physicians attain a glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) concentration ≤7.0%, but this target may not be applicable to those with heart failure. Fourteen studies in patients with chronic heart failure that examined the relationship between the level of HbA1c and risk of death specified whether HbA1c was influenced by treatment with antidiabetic medications. In patients with heart failure not receiving glucose-lowering drugs, the mortality rate was not higher among those with an HbA1c concentration <7.0%. By contrast, in patients who were treated with insulin, sulphonylureas and thiazolidinediones, an inverse or U-shaped relationship between HbA1c and the risk of death was generally observed, and mortality was lowest in patients with both heart failure and diabetes if the level of HbA1c was >7.0%. These studies suggest that patients with both heart failure and diabetes are at increased risk of death if they are prescribed certain glucose-lowering drugs to achieve levels of HbA1c <7.0%.

Mean HbA1c, HbA1c variability, and mortality in people with diabetes aged 70 years and older: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Glycaemic targets for older people have been revised in recent years because of concern that more stringent targets are associated with increased mortality. We aimed to investigate the association between glycaemic control (mean HbA_1c) and variability (variability of HbA_1c over time) and mortality in older people with diabetes.

METHODS

We did a 5-year retrospective cohort study using The Health Improvement Network database, which includes data from 587 UK primary care practices. We included patients of either sex who were aged 70 years and older with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The primary outcome was time to all-cause mortality. Our primary exposure variables were mean HbA_1c and variability of HbA_1c over time. The observation included a 4-year run-in period (from 2003) as a baseline, with a 5-year follow-up (from 2007 to 2012). We assessed mean HbA_1c in three models: a baseline mean HbA_1c for 2003-06 (model 1), the mean across the whole follow-up period (model 2), and a time-varying yearly updated mean (model 3). A variability score (from 0 [low] to 100 [high]) was calculated on the basis of number of changes in HbA_1c of 0·5% (5·5 mmol/mol) or more from 2003 to 2012 or to the point of mortality, based on changes in the annual mean as per each model with a minimum of six readings.

FINDINGS

The cohort consisted of 54 803 people, of whom 17 680 (8614 [30·7%] of 28 017 women and 9066 [33·8%] of 26 786 men) died during the observation period. The overall mortality rate was 77 per 1000 person-years (73 per 1000 person-years for women and 80 per 1000 person-years for men). The data showed a J-shaped distribution for mortality risk in both sexes, with significant increases with HbA_1c values greater than 8% (64 mmol/mol) and less than 6% (42 mmol/mol), although excess mortality risk was non-significant in model 1 for men at HbA_1c values of 8% (64 mmol/mol) to less than 8·5% (<69 mmol/mol) and in models 1 and 3 for both sexes assessed individually at HbA_1c values less than 6% (42 mmol/mol). Mortality increased substantially with increasing HbA_1c variability in all models (overall and for both sexes). For the model 2 HbA_1c measure, the adjusted hazard ratios comparing patients with a glycaemic variability score of more than 80 to 100 with those with a score of 0 to 20 were 2·47 (95% CI 2·08-2·93) for women and 2·21 (1·87-2·61) for men. Fitting the mean HbA_1c models with the glycaemic variability score altered the risk distribution; this observation was most marked in the model 2 analysis, in which a significant increased risk was only apparent with HbA_1c values greater than 9·5% (80 mmol/mol) in women and 9% (75 mmol/mol) in men.

INTERPRETATION

Both low and high levels of glycaemic control were associated with an increased mortality risk, and the level of variability also seems to be an important factor, suggesting that a stable glycaemic level in the middle range is associated with lower risk. Glycaemic variability, as assessed by variability over time in HbA_1c, might be an important factor in understanding mortality risk in older people with diabetes.

FUNDING

King's College London and Diabetes Frail.

Impact of differing glucose-lowering regimens on the pattern of association between glucose control and survival

AIMS

To characterize survival in relation to achieved glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level within alternative glucose-lowering regimens with differing risks of hypoglycaemia.

METHODS

Data were extracted from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink and the corresponding Hospital Episode Statistics. Patients with type 2 diabetes prescribed glucose-lowering therapy in monotherapy or dual therapy with metformin between 2004 and 2013 were identified. Risk of all-cause mortality within treatment cohorts was evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards model, introducing mean HbA1c as a quarterly updated, time-dependent covariable.

RESULTS

There were 6646 deaths in a total follow-up period of 374 591 years. Survival for lower (<7%) vs moderate HbA1c levels (≥7%, <8.5%) differed by cohort: metformin, adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.95-1.12); sulphonylurea, aHR 1.11 (95% CI 0.99-1.25); insulin, aHR 1.47 (95% CI 1.25-1.72); combined regimens with low hypoglycaemia risk, aHR 1.02 (95% CI 0.94-1.10); and combined regimens with higher hypoglycaemia risk excluding insulin, aHR 1.24 (95% CI 1.13-1.35) and including insulin, aHR 1.28 (95% CI 1.18-1.37). Higher HbA1c levels were associated with increased mortality in regimens with low hypoglycaemia risk. Post hoc analysis by HbA1c deciles revealed an elevated risk of all-cause mortality for the lowest deciles across all cohorts, but particularly in those regimens associated with hypoglycaemia. High HbA1c was associated with no difference, or a small increase in mortality risk in regimens with increased risk of hypoglycaemia.

CONCLUSIONS

The pattern of mortality risk across the range of HbA1c differed by glucose-lowering regimen. Lower HbA1c was associated with increased mortality risk compared with moderate control, especially in those regimens associated with hypoglycaemia. High levels of HbA1c were associated with the expected elevated mortality risk in regimens with low hypoglycaemia risk.

Examining factors associated with excess mortality in older people (age ≥ 70 years) with diabetes - a 10-year cohort study of older people with and without diabetes

AIMS

To compare all-cause mortality in older people with or without diabetes and consider the associated risk of comorbidity and polypharmacy.

METHODS

A 10-year cohort study using data from the Health Innovation Network database (2003-2013) comparing mortality in people aged ≥ 70 years with diabetes (DM cohort) (n = 35 717) and without diabetes (No DM cohort) (n = 307 918).

RESULTS

The mean age of the DM cohort was 78.1 ± 5.8 years vs. 79.0 ± 6.3 years in the No DM cohort. Mean diabetes duration was 8.2 ± 8.1 years, and 30% had diabetes for > 10 years. The DM cohort had a greater comorbidity load and people in this cohort were prescribed more therapies than the No DM cohort. The 5- and 10-year survival rates were lower in the DM cohort at 64% and 39%, respectively, compared with 72% and 50% in the No DM cohort. The excess mortality in the DM cohort was greatest in those aged < 75 years with longer duration diabetes, the relative hazard for mortality was higher in females. Although comorbidity and polypharmacy were associated with increased mortality risk in the DM cohort, this risk was lower compared with the No DM cohort. The hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for comorbidities > 4 and medicines ≥ 7 were 1.29 (1.19 to 1.41) and 1.34 (1.25 to 1.43) in the DM cohort and 1.63 (1.57 to 1.70) and 1.48 (1.40 to 1.56) in the No DM cohort, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

There is significant excess mortality in older people with diabetes, which is unexplained by comorbidity or polypharmacy. This excess is greatest in the younger old with longer disease duration, suggesting that it may be related to the effect of diabetes exposure.

Health Outcomes of Population-Based Pharmacy Outreach to Increase Statin Use for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Patients with Diabetes

BACKGROUND

In 2003, Group Health implemented a pharmacy-based, systemwide outreach effort to increase the preventive use of statins and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in enrollees at risk for cardiovascular disease, including all enrollees with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the associations between the use of statins and major vascular events and the total costs in 2006-2010 for enrollees with diabetes, using a pharmacy-based, systemwide outreach.

METHODS

In a 14-year (1997-2010) longitudinal cohort study design, the study population consisted of 6,975 Group Health enrollees with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, who were enrolled continuously and had no statin use before the Group Health outreach in 1997-2002. Health outcomes were all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Statin exposure was measured by cumulative statin use since 2003, weighted by the effect of the statin type and dose on the lowering of low-density lipoprotein levels. Regression models estimated associations between cumulative statin use, health outcomes, and total costs in 2006-2010.

RESULTS

Among enrollees with no statin use before outreach began in 2003, about half had no or low exposure to statins by the end of 2005. In 2006-2010, cumulative statin use was greater among enrollees with risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Greater statin use was related to lower cardiovascular deaths and incidence of stroke and myocardial infarction, greater but nonsignificant all-cause mortality, and unrelated to total costs.

CONCLUSIONS

Population-based pharmacy outreach increased statin use for eligible enrollees with diabetes, which was related to better cardiovascular outcomes. Generally, statin use was unrelated to all-cause mortality and total costs.

DISCLOSURES

This study was funded by Grant No. R21 HS019501 from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and was conducted as part of the AHRQ announcement Optimizing Prevention and Healthcare Management for the Complex Patient (R21; RFA-HS-10-009). Ralston and Anderson are employees of Group Health and the Group Health Research Institute, which provided the data for this study. Study concept and design were contributed by Grembowski, Ralston, and Anderson. Anderson assisted with data collection and analysis, and data interpretation was performed by Anderson, along with Grembowski and Ralston. The manuscript was prepared by Grembowski, along with Ralston and Anderson.

Determinants of mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes: a review

We aimed to review and summarize the evidence from accomplished trials analyzing factors influencing mortality in patients with T2DM and to provide some recommendations for targets and treatment in the European region. The following databases were searched for relevant trials: PubMed and the Cochrane Library. Of 3.806 citations, 134 trials met our inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

The reduction in lifetime for 65 + -years-old patients having less than 10 years T2DM amounts to 1.8 years. Having T2DM for more than 10 years lifetime will be reduced by 2.7 years. However, the lifetime shortening factor of T2DM will even be stronger for 40 + -years-old patients at onset. Males will lose 11.6 years of life and 18.6 QUALYs. T2DM among females will reduce life by 14 QUALYs by 22 years. From a statistical point of view, the highest mortality rate will occur in an over 55-years-old European smoking and non-compliant diabetic woman with alcohol abuse living in a rural area with a low level of education and a low socio-economic status. Furthermore, other co-morbidities such as cardiovascular diseases, gout, and depression affect mortality. Additionally, mortality will increase with a BMI over 35 and also with a BMI under 20-25. This refers to the obesity paradox indicating a higher mortality rate among normal weight patients with T2DM compared to overweight patients with T2DM. HbA1c-levels between 6.5 % and 7 % are associated with the lowest impact on mortality.