Inadequate treatment of dyslipidemia in people with type 2 diabetes: quality assessment of diabetes care in a Danish County.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to describe the routine monitoring of lipids and the use of lipid-lowering medicine in people with type 2 diabetes in the period 2000-2002.


METHODS
Data from the National Health Service Registry, the Regional laboratory database and the Danish National Hospital Registry have been used for identification and description of known diabetes in a background population of 649,177 citizens in the County of Aarhus, corresponding to 12% of the total Danish population. All data were collected for the period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2002.


RESULTS
A total of 14,644 people with type 2 diabetes were identified, 52% of whom were men. The mean age was 64 years and the mean duration of diabetes was 7 years. A total of 61% had a minimum of one measurement of total cholesterol in 2000 compared with 64% in 2002. Some 71% of the patients in 2000 compared with 66% in 2002 had a total cholesterol concentration above 5.0 mmol/l. The proportion of people with type 2 diabetes treated with a lipid-lowering drug increased from 15% in 2000 to 24% in 2002. For those who were treated with lipid-lowering medication 33% in 2000 and 42% in 2002 reached currently recommended targets of total cholesterol concentrations.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study provide a realistic picture of the monitoring of cholesterol as part of diabetes care and found a tendency to increased adherence to guidelines. Even so, it seems as if more patients with diabetes could benefit from treatment with lipid-lowering medication.
Kolding Kristensen
Jette
J
Department of General Practice, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark. jkk@alm.au.dk
Lauritzen
Torsten
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003718:Denmark; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D050171:Dyslipidemias / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012042:Registries; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents; D002784:Cholesterol