Table 1.
Characteristics of Medication User Cohorts†
| Beneficiary Characteristics | Cohort of RAAS Inhibitor Users (N=1,766) | Cohort of Statins Users (N=1,139) |
|---|---|---|
| Use of RAAS-inhibitors (%) | 100 | 71.4 |
| Use of statins (%) | 49.9 | 100 |
| Cumulative 3-year Medicare Spending (2006 constant dollars) | $41,540 | $40,525 |
| Diabetes ascertainment (%) | ||
| Claims and self-report | 74.9 | 73.1 |
| Claims/no self-report | 17.7 | 19.1 |
| Self-report/no claims | 7.5 | 7.8 |
| Age (%) | ||
| Age < 65 (SSDI) | 14.8 | 15.6 |
| 65 – 69 | 22.2 | 26.7 |
| 70 – 74 | 19.9 | 20.5 |
| 75 – 79 | 18.7 | 18.4 |
| 80+ | 24.4 | 18.8 |
| Former SSDI ≥ age 65 | 24.5 | 26.3 |
| Female (%) | 55.6 | 53.2 |
| Race (%) | ||
| Non-Hispanic white | 71.1 | 76.1 |
| Non-Hispanic black | 15.1 | 12.6 |
| Hispanic | 9.0 | 6.9 |
| Other | 4.8 | 4.4 |
| Marital status (%) | ||
| Married | 49.7 | 56.7 |
| Widowed | 34.1 | 27.7 |
| Single | 16.1 | 15.6 |
| Education (%) | ||
| No high school | 22.6 | 19.1 |
| Some high school | 19.2 | 18.2 |
| High school grad | 29.1 | 29.9 |
| Some higher education | 28.2 | 32.5 |
| Annual income (%) | ||
| ≤ 100% FPL | 22.2 | 19.1 |
| 101% to 199% FPL | 34.3 | 32.9 |
| 200% to 299% FPL | 20.8 | 21.1 |
| ≥300% FPL | 22.4 | 26.6 |
| Census region (%) | ||
| East | 22.3 | 20.6 |
| Midwest | 24.6 | 25.5 |
| South | 39.3 | 40.7 |
| West | 13.9 | 13.3 |
| Has Medicare supplement (%) | 93.3 | 93.8 |
| Has drug coverage (%) | ||
| Medicaid | 22.8 | 21.0 |
| Employer plan | 35.6 | 41.1 |
| Self-purchased | 12.9 | 12.5 |
| Other public | 8.0 | 7.6 |
| Other private | 2.0 | 1.7 |
| None | 24.0 | 22.0 |
| Diabetes type (%) | ||
| Type 1 | 15.1 | 12.1 |
| Type 2 | 76.7 | 80.8 |
| Type not determined | 3.6 | 3.4 |
| Self-reported health (%) | ||
| Excellent/very good | 21.2 | 22.6 |
| Good | 30.9 | 30.7 |
| Fair | 30.8 | 29.5 |
| Poor | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Body mass index (%) | ||
| <18.5 (underweight) | 0.9 | 0.3 |
| 18.5 – 24.9 (normal) | 20.7 | 18.8 |
| 25.0 – 29.9 (overweight) | 35.3 | 37.8 |
| 30.0 – 34.9 (obese 1) | 24.2 | 25.0 |
| 35.0 – 39.9 (obese 2) | 9.0 | 9.5 |
| 40.0+ (obese 3) | 6.8 | 5.8 |
| Comorbidities (%) | ||
| Diabetes complications | 27.2 | 25.1 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 5.6 | 5.6 |
| Hypertension | 81.0 | 72.8 |
| Ischemic heart disease | 43.3 | 51.7 |
| Heart failure | 28.8 | 25.1 |
| Hyperlipidemia | 45.2 | 74.4 |
| COPD | 13.1 | 12.6 |
| Osteoarthritis | 17.0 | 15.9 |
| Count of limitations in activities of daily living (ADL)(mean, sd) | 1.1 (1.6) | 1.0 (1.4) |
| Count of hierarchical coexisting conditions (HCCs) (mean, sd) | 11.5 (5.6) | 11.8 (5.4) |
| Died (%) | 14.3 | 10.2 |
| Lost to follow-up (%) | 9.2 | 10.6 |
| Long-term care facility admission (%) | 5.3 | 3.9 |
| MCBS induction year (%) | ||
| 1997 | 11.0 | 10.0 |
| 1998 | 13.9 | 12.5 |
| 1999 | 16.2 | 14.4 |
| 2000 | 18.3 | 16.9 |
| 2001 | 19.1 | 20.6 |
| 2002 | 21.5 | 25.6 |
†
Values weighted to be nationally representative
Source: Medicare Current Beneficiary Surveys, 1997–2005