Table 1.
Characteristics of patients with type 2 diabetes when starting drugs or at study entry for prevalent users. Values are numbers (percentages) unless stated otherwise
| Characteristics | Glitazones | Gliptins | Metformin | Sulphonylureas | Insulin | Other diabetes drugs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total No of patients exposed | 21 308 | 32 533 | 256 024 | 134 570 | 19 791 | 12 062 |
| Median No of years exposed | 4.5 | 5.7 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 5.9 | 4.9 |
| Mean (SD) age at study entry | 63.0 (11.9) | 63.3 (12.1) | 64.6 (13.1) | 66.2 (12.9) | 64.5 (12.7) | 60.0 (11.9) |
| Mean (SD) Townsend score | 0.4 (3.5) | 0.5 (3.5) | 0.6 (3.6) | 0.6 (3.6) | 0.5 (3.6) | 0.8 (3.6) |
| Male | 12 658 (59.4) | 18 871 (58.0) | 146 690 (57.3) | 79 284 (58.9) | 11 499 (58.1) | 6509 (54.0) |
| Ethnicity: | ||||||
| Ethnicity recorded | 19 130 (89.8) | 29 396 (90.4) | 228 962 (89.4) | 119 507 (88.8) | 17 264 (87.2) | 10 947 (90.8) |
| White or not recorded | 17 112 (80.3) | 26 104 (80.2) | 204 915 (80.0) | 107 537 (79.9) | 17 001 (85.9) | 10 135 (84.0) |
| Indian | 997 (4.7) | 1662 (5.1) | 11 732 (4.6) | 5978 (4.4) | 476 (2.4) | 420 (3.5) |
| Pakistani | 811 (3.8) | 1132 (3.5) | 7425 (2.9) | 3972 (3.0) | 389 (2.0) | 290 (2.4) |
| Bangladeshi | 586 (2.8) | 713 (2.2) | 7282 (2.8) | 3980 (3.0) | 370 (1.9) | 374 (3.1) |
| Other Asian | 476 (2.2) | 720 (2.2) | 5873 (2.3) | 2947 (2.2) | 234 (1.2) | 164 (1.4) |
| Caribbean | 473 (2.2) | 795 (2.4) | 6376 (2.5) | 3700 (2.7) | 549 (2.8) | 278 (2.3) |
| Black African | 392 (1.8) | 676 (2.1) | 5715 (2.2) | 2977 (2.2) | 350 (1.8) | 161 (1.3) |
| Chinese | 84 (0.4) | 95 (0.3) | 983 (0.4) | 513 (0.4) | 36 (0.2) | 34 (0.3) |
| Other | 377 (1.8) | 636 (2.0) | 5723 (2.2) | 2966 (2.2) | 386 (2.0) | 206 (1.7) |
| Smoking status: | ||||||
| Smoking status recorded | 21 215 (99.6) | 32 399 (99.6) | 255 186 (99.7) | 134 080 (99.6) | 19 569 (98.9) | 12 003 (99.5) |
| Non-smoker | 11 374 (53.4) | 17 116 (52.6) | 132 634 (51.8) | 69 849 (51.9) | 9393 (47.5) | 6126 (50.8) |
| Former smoker | 6252 (29.3) | 9725 (29.9) | 78 935 (30.8) | 41 438 (30.8) | 6142 (31.0) | 3726 (30.9) |
| Light smoker | 2170 (10.2) | 3358 (10.3) | 25 678 (10.0) | 13 846 (10.3) | 2413 (12.2) | 1252 (10.4) |
| Moderate smoker | 730 (3.4) | 1121 (3.4) | 9395 (3.7) | 4661 (3.5) | 832 (4.2) | 441 (3.7) |
| Heavy smoker | 689 (3.2) | 1079 (3.3) | 8544 (3.3) | 4286 (3.2) | 789 (4.0) | 458 (3.8) |
| Comorbidities: | ||||||
| Cardiovascular disease | 2962 (13.9) | 5325 (16.4) | 48 066 (18.8) | 28 895 (21.5) | 4596 (23.2) | 1992 (16.5) |
| Heart failure | 302 (1.4) | 737 (2.3) | 6943 (2.7) | 5069 (3.8) | 960 (4.9) | 374 (3.1) |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 1008 (4.7) | 1576 (4.8) | 12458 (4.9) | 8467 (6.3) | 1519 (7.7) | 544 (4.5) |
| Valvular heart disease | 379 (1.8) | 914 (2.8) | 7378 (2.9) | 4606 (3.4) | 765 (3.9) | 292 (2.4) |
| Hypertension | 12 520 (58.8) | 19 293 (59.3) | 150 219 (58.7) | 80 776 (60.0) | 11 117 (56.2) | 7310 (60.6) |
| Atrial fibrillation | 929 (4.4) | 1980 (6.1) | 17327 (6.8) | 10574 (7.9) | 1890 (9.5) | 657 (5.4) |
| Chronic kidney disease | 388 (1.8) | 593 (1.8) | 3067 (1.2) | 4183 (3.1) | 1165 (5.9) | 224 (1.9) |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 719 (3.4) | 1237 (3.8) | 9718 (3.8) | 5382 (4.0) | 842 (4.3) | 460 (3.8) |
| Previous complications: | ||||||
| Severe kidney disease | 54 (0.3) | 74 (0.2) | 509 (0.2) | 825 (0.6) | 213 (1.1) | 36 (0.3) |
| Blindness | 260 (1.2) | 383 (1.2) | 3715 (1.5) | 2404 (1.8) | 360 (1.8) | 170 (1.4) |
| Amputation | 85 (0.4) | 125 (0.4) | 1239 (0.5) | 894 (0.7) | 161 (0.8) | 65 (0.5) |
| ≥1 previous episode of hypoglycaemia | 288 (1.4) | 286 (0.9) | 2247 (0.9) | 1946 (1.4) | 337 (1.7) | 215 (1.8) |
| ≥1 previous episode of hyperglycaemia | 7921 (37.2) | 10 054 (30.9) | 68 839 (26.9) | 46 341 (34.4) | 7279 (36.8) | 3914 (32.4) |
| Other drugs: | ||||||
| anticoagulant | 642 (3.0) | 1419 (4.4) | 9409 (3.7) | 5989 (4.5) | 1344 (6.8) | 540 (4.5) |
| Thiazides | 3444 (16.2) | 4346 (13.4) | 31 291 (12.2) | 16 972 (12.6) | 2386 (12.1) | 1844 (15.3) |
| ACE inhibitors | 9318 (43.7) | 12 939 (39.8) | 83 847 (32.7) | 48 960 (36.4) | 7750 (39.2) | 5362 (44.5) |
| Angiotension receptor blockers | 3399 (16.0) | 4895 (15.0) | 28 629 (11.2) | 16 976 (12.6) | 2633 (13.3) | 2088 (17.3) |
| Calcium channel blockers | 5613 (26.3) | 8105 (24.9) | 55 674 (21.7) | 32 141 (23.9) | 5034 (25.4) | 3328 (27.6) |
| Statins | 15 512 (72.8) | 21 383 (65.7) | 137 574 (53.7) | 77 865 (57.9) | 12 640 (63.9) | 8451 (70.1) |
| Aspirin | 7890 (37.0) | 9684 (29.8) | 68 013 (26.6) | 41 647 (30.9) | 7057 (35.7) | 4096 (34.0) |
ACE=angiotensin converting enzyme.
Values represent those recorded before starting drugs or at study entry for prevalent users. Treatment groups not mutually exclusive.