posted on 2020-10-13, 14:01authored byAimin Yang, Hongjiang Wu, Eric S.H. Lau, Ronald C.W. Ma, Alice P.S. Kong, Wing Yee So, Andrea O.Y. Luk, Juliana C.N. Chan, Elaine Chow
OBJECTIVE
There has
been a shift towards new classes of glucose lowering drugs (GLDs) in the past
decade but no improvements in glycemic control or hospitalization rates due to
severe hypoglycemia (SH) in previous surveys. We examined trends in GLDs
utilization, glycemic control and SH rate among patients with diabetes in Hong
Kong which introduced a territory-wide, team-based diabetes care model since
2000.
RESEARCH
DESIGN AND METHODS Using population-based data from the Hong Kong Diabetes
Surveillance Database, we estimated age- and sex-standardized proportion of GLDs
classes, mean hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels and SH rates in 763,809 diabetes
patients aged≥20 years between 2002-2016.
CONCLUSIONS
In this 15-year survey, the modest but important improvement in HbA1c since
2007 coincided with diabetes service reforms, increase in metformin, decrease
in sulfonylurea and modest rise in DPP-4i use. Persistently poor glycemic
control and under-utilization of GLDs in the youngest group calls for targeted action.
Funding
Dr. Aimin Yang was supported by a CUHK Impact Research Fellowship Scheme.