Published in:
Open Access 01-04-2019 | Hypercholesterolemia | Original Research
Characteristics of Patients with Diabetes Initiating Sodium Glucose Co-transporter-2 Inhibitors (SGLT2i): Real-World Results from Three Administrative Databases in Japan
Published in: Diabetes Therapy | Issue 2/2019
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Introduction
The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of new users of sodium glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) in comparison with those of new users of other oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) using data retrieved from three administrative databases in Japan.
Methods
This study included adult patients from each database who started an OAD between 2014 and 2017. Outpatients who started SGLT2i therapy were included in the SGLT2i cohort. The remaining outpatients were grouped according to the OAD class of their earliest initial prescription after no use of the index OAD during the 6-month pre-index period. Diabetes-related complications were evaluated using the Diabetes Complication Severity Index.
Results
In total, 176,355 patients in the hospital-based administrative database (H-dataset), 98,361 in the pharmacy claims database (P-dataset) and 37,786 in the insurance claims database (I-dataset) were analyzed. In the H-dataset, SGLT2i users, compared with users of other OADs, tended to be younger (mean age at index: 57.7 vs. 60.3–69.2 years) and to have a higher prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (73.5 vs. 55.2–71.4%), a higher mean body weight (74.4 vs. 60.5–70.8 kg), a higher body mass index (27.6 vs. 23.5–26.4 kg/m2) and a higher glycated hemoglobin level (8.4 vs. 7.4–8.1%). There were no distinct differences in the prevalence of complications between SGLT2i users and users of other OADs in the H-dataset. Similar trends were noted in the other datasets.
Conclusion
Patients initiating SGLT2i therapy differed in several characteristics from new users of other OADs. SGLT2i were prescribed more frequently to younger patients, those at increased cardiovascular risk or those with poorer glycemic control.
Funding
Astellas Pharma Inc., Tokyo, Japan.