Data-driven long-term glycaemic control trajectories and their associated health and economic outcomes in Finnish patients with incident type 2 diabetes

Effects on HbA1c of referral of type 2 diabetes patients to secondary care

AIM

To study trajectories of HbA1c in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients referred to diabetes outpatient clinics (DOCs), and to explore characteristics of referrals and patient pathways in patients treated in DOCs.

METHODS

We retrospectively followed T2D patients from the Norwegian population-based ROSA 4 study to identify persons with T2D who were referred to a DOC. We used latent class trajectory modelling to identify subgroups of patients with similar patterns of HbA1c one year before to one year after the first consultation at a DOC. We performed multinomial regression analyses to identify baseline characteristics associated with group membership.

RESULTS

Four hundred and two of 6716 T2D patients started treatment at a DOC, constituting a yearly starting rate of 1.5%. We identified three classes of HbA1c trajectories: (1) stable moderate hyperglycaemia (75%); (2) severe hyperglycaemia with a decline in HbA1c around referral (14%) and (3) severe hyperglycaemia with a decline in HbA1c after starting treatment at the DOC (11%). HbA1c trajectories were associated with diabetes duration RRR 0.92, CI (0.87, 0.97) in class 2 vs. 1 and 0.93 (0.88, 0.98) in class 3 vs. 1. Some differences were found between clinics in rejection rate, processes of care, and duration of follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Norwegian GPs handle most T2D patients themselves. Those with T2D and severe hyperglycaemia had a considerable benefit from being referred to a DOC, though with two separate trajectories: One where HbA1c improved around the time of referral, and another that improved after starting in a DOC.

Trajectories of Body Mass Index and Risk for Diabetes Complications and All-Cause Mortality in Finnish Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Objective

We aimed to assess how longitudinal body mass index (BMI) trajectories are associated with diabetes complications and all-cause mortality in Finnish patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods

In this cohort study, electronic health records from public primary and specialized healthcare services in all 13 municipalities of North Karelia, Finland, were utilized. This study included a total of 889 adults with newly diagnosed T2D in 2011 or 2012 (mean age at baseline 62.0 years). Individual BMI trajectories from the T2D diagnosis until 2014 were estimated and grouped by growth mixture modeling (GMM). Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for microvascular complications, macrovascular complications, any diabetes complications, and all-cause mortality from 2015 to 2022 across BMI trajectory groups were estimated using Cox regression models.

Results

Three distinct BMI trajectory groups were identified using GMM and labeled as follows: "stable" (n = 774, 87.1%), "decreasing" (n = 87, 9.8%), and "increasing" (n = 28, 3.1%). During a median follow-up of 8 years, there were 119 (13.3%) patients with microvascular complications, 187 (21.0%) with macrovascular complications, 258 (29.0%) with any diabetes complications, and 180 (20.2%) deaths. Compared with the "stable" BMI, the "increasing" BMI was associated with an increased risk of microvascular complications (HR = 2.88, 95% CI: 1.32 to 6.28), macrovascular complications (HR = 2.52, 95% CI: 1.17 to 5.43), and any diabetes complications (HR = 2.21, 95% CI: 1.16 to 4.20). The "decreasing" BMI was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (HR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.14 to 3.15), compared to the "stable" BMI.

Conclusion

Our findings underscore the significance of continuous BMI monitoring and weight management in patients with T2D. Tailored treatments are crucial for efficiently preventing weight gain and reducing the risk of diabetes complications.