[Prevalence and pharmacotherapy of diabetes mellitus in primary care].
OBJECTIVE
So far only incomplete epidemiological data on the management of diabetes mellitus have been available for the Federal Republic of Germany. It was the aim of this study to obtain such information from a representative cross-section of patients.


METHODS
43549 consecutive, unselected patients (52.6% females; mean age 64.9 +/- 11.7 years) of general practitioners and internists in private practice were included in this study which was based on data provided by the general practitioners or internists during September 2001. They recorded prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and 22 other diseases, and the patients' current treatment. Also recorded were associations of other patient-related variables (age, gender, associated or resulting diseases, hypertension, micro- and macrovascular complications, obesity), with medical practitioner-related variables (medical training, use of guidelines, regional factors) and with the frequency of antidiabetic treatment (total and differentiated by class of drug).


RESULTS
The prevalence of diabetes mellitus in this cohort was 15.6% (18.5% for males and 13.7% for females). 67.6% of the diabetics received antidiabetic medication. There was little difference, between the different age groups and between males and females, with regard to which of the various drugs were prescribed. Patients with macrovascular complications were more intensively treated with antidiabetics than those with exclusively microvascular ones. There was hardly any correlation between patterns of prescription and various practitioner characteristics (medical training, use of guidelines, regional factors).


CONCLUSIONS
There was little differentiation in the prescription of antidiabetic medication by general practitioners/internists among an unselected patient cohort.
Lehnert
H
H
Klinik für Endokrinologie und Stoffwechselkrankheiten, Universität Magdeburg. Hendrik.Lehnert@medizin.uni-magdeburg.de
Wittchen
H-U
HU
Pittrow
D
D
Bramlage
P
P
Kirch
W
W
Böhler
S
S
Höfler
M
M
Ritz
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005194:Family Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015994:Incidence; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents