Discontinuation of diabetes medication in the 10 years before death in Denmark: a register-based study

Continuous glucose monitoring for the routine care of type 2 diabetes mellitus

Although continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices are now considered the standard of care for people with type 1 diabetes mellitus, the uptake among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been slower and is focused on those receiving intensive insulin therapy. However, increasing evidence now supports the inclusion of CGM in the routine care of people with T2DM who are on basal insulin-only regimens or are managed with other medications. Expanding CGM to these groups could minimize hypoglycaemia while allowing efficient adaptation and escalation of therapies. Increasing evidence from randomized controlled trials and observational studies indicates that CGM is of clinical value in people with T2DM on non-intensive treatment regimens. If further studies confirm this finding, CGM could soon become a part of routine care for T2DM. In this Perspective we explore the potential benefits of widening the application of CGM in T2DM, along with the challenges that must be overcome for the evidence-based benefits of this technology to be delivered for all people with T2DM.

Methodological Considerations for Describing Medication Changes in Relation to Clinical Events and Death: An Applied Example in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Cancer

INTRODUCTION

Certain clinical events reduce life expectancy and necessitate a reassessment of patient treatment.

OBJECTIVE

To describe medication changes in relation to a cancer diagnosis and the end of life and to highlight challenges and limitations with such descriptions.

METHODS

From a cohort with all Danish patients with type 2 diabetes, we matched patients with incident cancer during 2000-2021 (n = 41,745) with patients without cancer (n = 166,994) using propensity scores. We described their medication usage from cancer diagnosis until death.

RESULTS

The 1- and 5-year mortality were 51% and 86%, respectively, in the cancer group, and 13% and 59% in the non-cancer group. In relation to cancer diagnosis and death, the use of symptomatic medications (e.g., opioids, benzodiazepines) increased (10-60 incident medications per 100 patient-months), and the use of preventive medications (e.g., antihypertensives, statins) decreased (5-30% fewer users). The changes in relation to the diagnosis were driven by patients with short observed lengths of survival (< 2 years). In contrast, changes occurring within a year before death were less dependent on survival strata, and > 60% used preventive medications in their last months.

CONCLUSIONS

Medication changes in relation to a cancer diagnosis were frequent and correlated to the length of survival. The results showcase the challenges and limited clinical utility of anchoring analyses on events or death. While the former diluted the results by averaging changes across patients with vastly different clinical courses, the latter leveraged information unavailable to the treating clinicians. While medication changes were common near death, preventive medications were often used until death.

Guideline-level monitoring, biomarker levels and pharmacological treatment in migrants and native Danes with type 2 diabetes: Population-wide analyses

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) is higher in migrants compared to native populations in many countries, but the evidence on disparities in T2D care in migrants is inconsistent. Therefore, this study aimed to examine this in Denmark. In a cross-sectional, register-based study on 254,097 individuals with T2D, 11 indicators of guideline-level care were analysed: a) monitoring: hemoglobin-A1c (HbA1c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), screening for diabetic nephropathy, retinopathy, and foot disease, b) biomarker control: HbA1c and LDL-C levels, and c) pharmacological treatment: glucose-lowering drugs (GLD), lipid-lowering drugs, angiotensin-converting enzyme-inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, and antiplatelet therapy. Migrants were grouped by countries of origin: Middle East, Europe, Turkey, Former Yugoslavia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Vietnam. In all migrant groups except the Europe-group, T2D was more prevalent than in native Danes (crude relative risk (RR) from 0.62 [0.61-0.64] (Europe) to 3.98 [3.82-4.14] (Sri Lanka)). In eight indicators, non-fulfillment was common (>25% among native Danes). Apart from monitoring in the Sri Lanka-group, migrants were at similar or higher risk of non-fulfillment than native Danes across all indicators of monitoring and biomarker control (RR from 0.64 [0.51-0.80] (HbA1c monitoring, Sri Lanka) to 1.78 [1.67-1.90] (LDL-C control, Somalia)), while no overall pattern was observed for pharmacological treatment (RR from 0.61 [0.46-0.80] (GLD, Sri Lanka) to 1.67 [1.34-2.09] (GLD, Somalia)). Care was poorest in migrants from Somalia, who had increased risk in all eleven indicators, and the highest risk in nine. Adjusted risks were elevated in some migrant groups, particularly in indicators of biomarker control (fully-adjusted RR from 0.84 [0.75-0.94] (LDL-C levels, Vietnam) to 1.44 [1.35-1.54] (LDL-C levels, Somalia)). In most migrant groups, T2D was more prevalent, and monitoring and biomarker control was inferior compared to native Danes. Migrants from Somalia received the poorest care overall, and had exceedingly high lipid levels.

Overtreatment and associated risk factors among multimorbid older patients with diabetes

BACKGROUND

In multimorbid older patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the intensity of glucose-lowering medication (GLM) should be focused on attaining a suitable level of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c ) while avoiding side effects. We aimed at identifying patients with overtreatment of T2DM as well as associated risk factors.

METHODS

In a secondary analysis of a multicenter study of multimorbid older patients, we evaluated HbA1c levels among patients with T2DM. Patients were aged ≥70 years, with multimorbidity (≥3 chronic diagnoses) and polypharmacy (≥5 chronic medications), enrolled in four university medical centers across Europe (Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, and Switzerland). We defined overtreatment as HbA1c  < 7.5% with ≥1 GLM other than metformin, as suggested by Choosing Wisely and used prevalence ratios (PRs) to evaluate risk factors of overtreatment in age- and sex-adjusted analyses.

RESULTS

Among the 564 patients with T2DM (median age 78 years, 39% women), mean ± standard deviation HbA1c was 7.2 ± 1.2%. Metformin (prevalence 51%) was the most frequently prescribed GLM and 199 (35%) patients were overtreated. The presence of severe renal impairment (PR 1.36, 1.21-1.53) and outpatient physician (other than general practitioner [GP], i.e. specialist) or emergency department visits (PR 1.22, 1.03-1.46 for 1-2 visits, and PR 1.35, 1.19-1.54 for ≥3 visits versus no visits) were associated with overtreatment. These factors remained associated with overtreatment in multivariable analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

In this multicountry study of multimorbid older patients with T2DM, more than one third were overtreated, highlighting the high prevalence of this problem. Careful balancing of benefits and risks in the choice of GLM may improve patient care, especially in the context of comorbidities such as severe renal impairment, and frequent non-GP healthcare contacts.

Diuretics, SGLT2 inhibitors and falls in older heart failure patients: to prescribe or to deprescribe? A clinical review

PURPOSE

Both heart failure and its treatment with diuretics or SGLT2 inhibitors increase fall risk in older adults. Therefore, decisions to continue or deprescribe diuretics or SGLT2 inhibitors in older heart failure patients who have fallen are generally highly complex and challenging for clinicians. However, a comprehensive overview of information required for rationale and safe decision-making is lacking. The aim of this clinical review was to assist clinicians in safe (de)prescribing of these drug classes in older heart failure patients.

METHODS

We comprehensively searched and summarized published literature and international guidelines on the efficacy, fall-related safety issues, and deprescribing of the commonly prescribed diuretics and SGLT2 inhibitors in older adults.

RESULTS

Both diuretics and SGLT2 inhibitors potentially cause various fall-related adverse effects. Their fall-related side effect profiles partly overlap (e.g., tendency to cause hypotension), but there are also important differences; based on the currently available evidence of this relatively new drug class, SGLT2 inhibitors seem to have a favorable fall-related adverse effect profile compared to diuretics (e.g., low/absent tendency to cause hyperglycemia or electrolyte abnormalities, low risk of worsening chronic kidney disease). In addition, SGLT2 inhibitors have potential beneficial effects (e.g., disease-modifying effects in heart failure, renoprotective effects), whereas diuretic effects are merely symptomatic.

CONCLUSION

(De)prescribing diuretics and SGLT2 inhibitors in older heart failure patients who have fallen is often highly challenging, but this clinical review paper assists clinicians in individualized and patient-centered rational clinical decision-making: we provide a summary of available literature on efficacy and (subclass-specific) safety profiles of diuretics and SGLT2 inhibitors, and practical guidance on safe (de)prescribing of these drugs (e.g. a clinical decision tree for deprescribing diuretics in older adults who have fallen).

Expanding the Role of Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Modern Diabetes Care Beyond Type 1 Disease

Application of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has moved diabetes care from a reactive to a proactive process, in which a person with diabetes can prevent episodes of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia, rather than taking action only once low and high glucose are detected. Consequently, CGM devices are now seen as the standard of care for people with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Evidence now supports the use of CGM in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on any treatment regimen, not just for those on insulin therapy. Expanding the application of CGM to include all people with T1DM or T2DM can support effective intensification of therapies to reduce glucose exposure and lower the risk of complications and hospital admissions, which are associated with high healthcare costs. All of this can be achieved while minimizing the risk of hypoglycemia and improving quality of life for people with diabetes. Wider application of CGM can also bring considerable benefits for women with diabetes during pregnancy and their children, as well as providing support for acute care of hospital inpatients who experience the adverse effects of hyperglycemia following admission and surgical procedures, as a consequence of treatment-related insulin resistance or reduced insulin secretion. By tailoring the application of CGM for daily or intermittent use, depending on the patient profile and their needs, one can ensure the cost-effectiveness of CGM in each setting. In this article we discuss the evidence-based benefits of expanding the use of CGM technology to include all people with diabetes, along with a diverse population of people with non-diabetic glycemic dysregulation.