Abstract
ObjectiveWe aimed to examine factors associated with untreated diabetes in a nationally representative sample of the Japanese population.Research Design and MethodsWe pooled data from the Japanese National Health and Nutrition Survey from 2005 to 2009 (n = 20,496). Individuals aged 20 years and older were included in the analysis. We classified participants as having diabetes if they had HbA1c levels ≥6.5% (≥48 mmol/mol). People with diabetes who self-reported that they were not currently receiving diabetic treatment were considered to be untreated. We conducted a multinomial logistic regression analysis to determine factors associated with untreated diabetes relative to non-diabetic individuals.ResultsOf 20,496 participants who were included in the analysis, untreated diabetes was present in 748 (3.6%). Among participants with untreated diabetes, 48.3% were previously diagnosed with diabetes, and 46.5% had HbA1c levels ≥7.0% (≥53 mmol/mol). Participants with untreated diabetes were significantly more likely than non-diabetic participants to be male, older, and currently smoking, have lower HDL cholesterol levels and higher BMI, non-HDL cholesterol levels, and systolic blood pressure.ConclusionsA substantial proportion of people in Japan with untreated diabetes have poor glycemic control. Targeting relevant factors for untreated diabetes in screening programs may be effective to enhance the treatment and control of diabetes.
Highlights
Effective treatment coverage of diabetes is important to prevent its complications that increase the social cost of the disease
Of 20,496 participants who were included in the analysis, untreated diabetes was present in 748 (3.6%)
Among participants with untreated diabetes, 48.3% were previously diagnosed with diabetes, and 46.5% had HbA1c levels 7.0% (53 mmol/mol)
Summary
Effective treatment coverage of diabetes is important to prevent its complications that increase the social cost of the disease. The total cost associated with diabetes in the U.S has increased from $174 billion in 2007 to $245 billion in 2012 [3]. Four target goals were set for diabetes: 1) increasing the number of patients with diabetes receiving medical treatment; 2) reducing the number of patients with poor glycemic control; 3) reducing the number of new diabetic nephropathy hemodialysis cases; and 4) decreasing the incidence of newly diagnosed diabetes [4]. Improving the coverage of treatment for diabetes is a key, because as many as 35% of people who are strongly suspected of having diabetes are not receiving treatment in Japan [4]
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