Changing patterns of secondary preventive medication among newly diagnosed coronary heart disease patients with diabetes in Finland: a register-based study.
OBJECTIVE
Information on medicine use among coronary heart disease (CHD) patients with diabetes in unselected patient populations is scarce. This study examines the use of medication to prevent new cardiac events among newly diagnosed CHD patients with diabetes comparing them to patients without diabetes and examines socioeconomic differences in medicine use in these patient groups.


METHODS
Data on CHD patients (43,501 men and 31,125 women) with or without diabetes were individually linked from nationwide registers (covering both patients treated in ambulatory and in hospital inpatient care). Age-standardised rates for medication use were calculated and differences between patient groups examined using Poisson regression.


RESULTS
beta-blocker use was high in all patient groups in 1997-2002, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor and angiotensin II antagonist use increased and remained higher among patients with diabetes. More than half of men and women with diabetes used ACE inhibitors and one out of five used angiotensin II antagonists in 2002. Lipid-lowering medication use increased, especially among women. In 1997-98 it was lower in lower socioeconomic groups; among men with diabetes the use remained lower than among others.


CONCLUSIONS
beta-blocker use was constant and ACE inhibitor and angiotensin II antagonist use increased. Lipid-lowering medication use increased considerably after a health insurance reform in 2000, in which elevated reimbursement of drug costs (75%) was extended to include all CHD patients with hyperlipidaemia.Socioeconomic differences in medication use disappeared after the reform. However, lipid-lowering medication use remained at a lower level among men with diabetes, suggesting that their treatment did not follow guidelines.
National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland. tuulikki.vehko@thl.fi
Tuulikki
T
Vehko
Kristna
K
Manderbacka
Martti
M
Arffman
Reijo
R
Sund
Antti
A
Reunanen
Ilmo
I
Keskimäki
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012042:Registries; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents