Prevalence of diabetes and frequency of glycated haemoglobin monitoring in Extremadura (Spain) during 2012, 2013 and 2014: An observational study.

AIMS

To analyze the prevalence of diabetes and the frequency of haemoglobin A (HbA) monitoring in the population with diabetes in Extremadura (Spain).

METHODS

Observational, longitudinal retrospective study in the population attended in the Extremadura Health System in 2012-2014. A total of 403,644 glycated haemoglobin determinations in 189,466 subjects (52.4% female) were studied. All patients with a prescription of antidiabetic drugs and those who, despite not having treatment, had any determination of HbA ≥6.5% were considered as people with diabetes. All patients without treatment but with HbA ≥5.7% and <6.5% were considered prediabetes patients.

RESULTS

The prevalence rate of diabetes was 8.3% and the frequency of HbA monitoring was 0.9/patient/year in the diabetic population. 48.2% of the patients with monitoring of HbA had diabetes, 21.2% had prediabetes, and 30.6% did not meet the criteria for diabetes or prediabetes. 12.7% of people with diabetes did not have determinations of HbA and only 11.8% have had ≥6 determinations in the period analyzed.

CONCLUSIONS

The frequency of HbA monitoring in the diabetic population is lower than that usually recommended. Moreover, there is an inadequate use of HbA determinations, since one out of every 3 patients does not meet the criteria for diabetes or prediabetes.