China type 2 diabetes treatment status survey of treatment pattern of oral drugs users.

BACKGROUND

The aim of the present study was to investigate the current status of oral anti-diabetic drug (OAD) therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes and influencing factors in a real-world setting in China.

METHODS

A total of 9872 outpatients with type 2 diabetes, who had received OADs (monotherapy or combination therapy) for at least 3 months were recruited in this study. Current antidiabetic treatment regimen and related clinical data were collected from medical records and analyzed.

RESULTS

The most common OADs in use were insulin secretagogues (70.2%) such as sulfonylureas (SUs; 42.7%) or glinides (27.5%), followed by metformin (53.7%), α-glucosidase inhibitors (35.9%), thiazolidinediones (17.2%), and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors (0.8%). Dual-drug combination therapy was more common (45.4%) than monotherapy (35.8%) and combination therapy with at least three drugs (17.0%). Patients on SU or glinide monotherapy were more likely to alter their treatment frequently (odds ratio [OR], 1.7; 95% CI, 1.38-2.08; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The status of OAD use in China is varied with a majority of the patients altering their treatment regimen citing poor effectiveness. These observations from a real-world setting may serve as guidance for improving diabetes management in China.