title: Type 2 diabetes: a cohort study of treatment, ethnic and social group influences on glycated haemoglobin.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether in people with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes (HbA1c>7.5%) improvement in HbA1c varies by ethnic and social group.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective 2-year cohort of type 2 diabetes treated in general practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients with type 2 diabetes in 100 of the 101 general practices in two London boroughs. The sample consisted of an ethnically diverse group with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes aged 37-71 years in 2007 and with HbA1c recording in 2008-2009.
  
  
  METHODS
  Change from baseline HbA1c in 2007 and achievement of HbA1c control in 2008 and 2009 were estimated for each ethnic, social and treatment group using multilevel modelling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample consisted of 6104 people; 18% were white, 63% south Asian, 16% black African/Caribbean and 3% other ethnic groups. HbA1c was lower after 1 and 2 years in all ethnic groups but south Asian people received significantly less benefit from each diabetes treatment. After adjustment, south Asian people were found to have 0.14% less reduction in HbA1c compared to white people (95% CI 0.04% to 0.24%) and white people were 1.6 (95% CI 1.2 to 2.0) times more likely to achieve HbA1c controlled to 7.5% or less relative to south Asian people. HbA1c reduction and control in black African/Caribbean and white people did not differ significantly. There was no evidence that social deprivation influenced HbA1c reduction or control in this cohort.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In all treatment groups, south Asian people with poorly controlled diabetes are less likely to achieve controlled HbA1c, with less reduction in mean HbA1c than white or black African/Caribbean people.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Primary Care and Public Health, St Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Gareth D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Ellena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Badrick
authors.forename: Rohini
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mathur
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hull
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Robson