Table 1.
Baseline characteristics
| Total | Metformin | Insulin | Glibenclamide | Glimepiride | Glipizide | Gliclazide | Tolbutamide | Combo* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (%) | 9876 | 711(7.2) | 2889(29.3) | 1136(11.5) | 1180(12.0) | 569(5.8) | 221(2.2) | 543(5.5) | 2615(26.5) |
| Age (mean [SD) | 72.3(11.2) | 68.7(11.4) | 70.5(12.1) | 75.3(10.3) | 74.7(10.5) | 75.6(10.2) | 73.9(10.4) | 76.1(10.6) | 71.4(10.5) |
| Men (%) | 5582 (56.5) | 439(7.9) | 1476(26.4) | 666(11.9) | 712(12.8) | 323(5.8) | 134(2.4) | 300(5.4) | 1522(27.3) |
| Age; men (mean [SD) | 70.3(11.2) | 66.8(11.0) | 68.2(12.0) | 73.1(10.6) | 72.7(10.6) | 73.5(10.6) | 72.4(11.0) | 73.8(11.1) | 69.6(10.3) |
| Women (%) | 4294(43.5) | 272(6.3) | 1413(32.9) | 470(11.0) | 468(10.9) | 246(5.7) | 87(2.0) | 243(5.7) | 1093(25.5) |
| Age; women (mean [SD) | 75.0(10.7) | 71.9(11.2) | 73.0(11.8) | 78.4(9.1) | 77.9(9.6) | 78.4(8.9) | 76.0(9.0) | 78.9(9.1) | 73.9(10.1) |
| Study inclusion period | |||||||||
| 1997-1998 | 2034(20.6) | 57(2.8) | 566(27.8) | 410(20.2) | 56(2.8) | 207(10.2) | 43(2.1) | 213(10.5) | 482(23.7) |
| 1999-2000 | 1898(19.2) | 84(4.3) | 557(29.4) | 273(14.4) | 200(10.5) | 157(8.3) | 44(2.3) | 128(6.7) | 451(23.8) |
| 2001-2002 | 2310(23.4) | 175(7.6) | 684(29.6) | 229(9.9) | 328(14.2) | 111(4.8) | 44(1.9) | 116(5.2) | 620(26.8) |
| 2003-2004 | 2031(20.6) | 203(10.0) | 581(28.6) | 153(7.5) | 349(17.2) | 61(3.00) | 61(3.00) | 57(2.8) | 564(27.8) |
| 2005-2006 | 1603(16.2) | 192(12.0) | 501(31.3) | 71(4.4) | 247(15.4) | 33(2.1) | 29(1.8) | 29(1.8) | 498(31.1) |
| Comorbidity | |||||||||
| Congestive heart failure | 1963(19.9) | 104(14.6) | 621(21.5) | 205(18.1) | 239(20.3) | 101(17.8) | 44(19.9) | 113(20.8) | 536(20.5) |
| Cardiac dysrhythmias | 1264(12.8) | 81(11.4) | 381(13.2) | 134(11.8) | 175(14.8) | 66(11.6) | 36(16.3) | 72(13.3) | 317(12.1) |
| Pulmonary oedema | 332(3.4) | 13(1.8) | 99(3.4) | 51(4.5) | 19(1.6) | 21(3.7) | 6(2.7) | 30(5.5) | 93(3.6) |
| Shock | 286(2.9) | 14(2.0) | 111(3.8) | 27(2.4) | 32(2.7) | 17(3.0) | 5(2.3) | 12(2.2) | 68(2.6) |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 927(9.4) | 51(7.2) | 302(10.5) | 85(7.5) | 116(9.8) | 45(7.9) | 16(7.2) | 67(12.3) | 244(9.3) |
| Diabetes mellitus with chronic complications |
3830(38.8) | 193(27.1) | 1627(56.3) | 26662(23.1) | 364(30.9) | 142(25.0) | 62(28.1) | 151(27.8) | 1023(39.1) |
| Acute renal failure | 213(2.2) | 13(1.8) | 108(3.7) | 21(1.9) | 13(1.1) | 10(1.8) | 5(2.3) | 9(1.7) | 34(1.3) |
| Chronic renal failure | 267(2.7) | 7(1.0) | 150(5.2) | 23(2.0) | 33(2.8) | 7(1.2) | 3(1.4) | 11(2.0) | 33(1.3) |
| Cancer | 465(4.7) | 22(3.1) | 162(5.6) | 61(5.4) | 64(5.4) | 35(6.2) | 9(4.1) | 18(3.3) | 92(3.5) |
| Concomitant medication | |||||||||
| ACE † inhibitors or ARBs ‡ | 4515(45.7) | 344(48.4) | 1543(53.4) | 354(31.2) | 518(43.9) | 195(34.3) | 90(40.7) | 173(31.9) | 1291(49.4) |
| β-Blockers | 2319(23.5) | 181(25.5) | 642(22.2) | 273(24.0) | 315(26.7) | 125(22.0) | 51(23.1) | 97(17.9) | 635(24.3) |
| Oral anticoagulants | 591(6.0) | 40(5.6) | 171(5.9) | 43(3.8) | 84(7.1) | 23(4.0) | 23(10.4) | 30(5.5) | 176(6.7) |
| Loop diuretic agents | 4188(42.4) | 208(29.3) | 1486(51.4) | 416(36.6) | 466(39.5) | 216(38.0) | 87(39.4) | 216(39.8) | 1092(41.8) |
| Spironolactone | 783(7.9) | 49(6.9) | 267(9.2) | 48(4.2) | 107(9.1) | 36(6.3) | 15 (6.8) | 29(5.3) | 230(8.8) |
| Statins | 2031(20.6) | 218(30.7) | 609(21.1) | 106(9.3) | 260(22.0) | 53(9.3) | 34(15.4) | 50 (9.2) | 697(26.7) |
*Combo = combinations of two or more GLDs. †ACE = angiotensin converting enzyme ‡ARB = angiotensin II receptor blockers. Only patients receiving monotherapy at baseline at the time of a study end point were examined. Patients receiving insulin and combination treatment were included in the table allowing for changes in treatment during the study period. 12 patients received acarbose treatment and were excluded from further analysis.