title: Monitoring the use of lipid-lowering medication among persons with newly diagnosed diabetes: a nationwide register-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a register-based monitoring system to provide information on the use of lipid-lowering medication among persons with diabetes in different patient groups and by socioeconomic position.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal and register-based, before and after diabetes diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Finnish population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 121 053 persons aged 30-79 years with a new diagnosis of diabetes during 2000-2006. The annual cohorts were divided at the time of diabetes diagnosis by coronary heart disease (CHD) status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lipid-lowering medication purchases after diabetes diagnosis and prior to the diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to the health insurance reimbursement data the use of lipid-lowering medication advanced rapidly among people with diabetes in the early 2000s in Finland. Of the patients diagnosed with diabetes in 2000 only one-fourth used lipid-lowering medication in 6-12 months after their diagnosis. For those diagnosed in 2006, the utilization rate was 46%. Among those with a history of CHD the use of medication was markedly higher; 51-58% in 2000 and 77-79% in 2006. Taking into account the increasing trend and measuring the independent effect of the diagnosis of diabetes on lipid-lowering medication, setting the diagnosis increased the use by 10-50%. Despite increasing overall utilisation rates, socioeconomic difference in the use of lipid-lowering medication remained throughout the study period. In particular, the lowest income quintile differed from other income groups and in 2006 its use of lipid-lowering medication remained approximately 10% points lower compared with the overall level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lipid-lowering medication is being applied in an increasing population of new diabetes cases; however, modelling the independent effect of the diagnosis of diabetes on lipid-lowering medication shows that the diagnosis increased use, but did not abolish socioeconomic differences.
authors.affiliation: Service System Research Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Tuulikki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vehko
authors.forename: Reijo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sund
authors.forename: Martti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arffman
authors.forename: Kristiina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Manderbacka
authors.forename: Pirjo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ilanne-Parikka
authors.forename: Ilmo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Keskimäki
keywords: Diabetes; Health Service Research; Pharmacology and Therapeutics; Research Methods