Table 2.

Diabetes Treatment, Knowledge, and Care, Management^*

Variables	Cohort of RAAS Inhibitor Users (N = 1,766)	Cohort of Statin Users (N = 1,139)
Medication adherence
RAAS inhibitors
Median 3-year MPR	0.88	0.85
Statins
Median 3-year MPR	0.77	0.77
User of antidiabetic drugs (%)
Older oral agents alone†	41.0	41.0
Newer oral agents alone‡	7.2	8.1
Older and newer oral agents	18.4	22.7
Insulin alone	6.0	5.9
Insulin plus oral agent(s)	5.2	6.3
Diabetes knowledge§
Good (%)	59.9	62.4
Some (%)	21.5	20.9
Poor (%)	8.2	8.7
Diabetes behaviors§
DM management class (%)	32.1	32.9
Tests own blood sugar (%)	80.2	81.9
Diets to control DM (%)	76.4	77.4
Exercises to control DM (%)	50.4	53.9
Takes daily aspirin (%)	40.7	48.2
Checks for sores on feet (%)	81.5	81.6

^*Values weighted to be nationally representative of Medicare, beneficiaries with self-reported diabetes.

^†Includes metformin and sulfonylureas.

^‡Includes thiazolidinediones, meglitinides, and α-glucosidase inhibitors.

^§Diabetes knowledge and behaviors percentages reported only.

DM, diabetes mellitus; MPR, medication possession ratio; RAAS, renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system.

Source: Medicare Current Beneficiary Surveys, 1997–2005.