Limitations of treatments available for the management of Type 2 diabetes: Results from an international survey of physicians

Abstract

AbstractThis is the second paper presenting information from a prospective, cross‐sectional survey of patients with Type 2 diabetes in France, Germany and the UK. An anonymised physician‐completed diary card was used to collect data about the treatment of 3,043 drug‐treated patients with Type 2 diabetes. The most common antidiabetic treatment, taken by 48% of patients aged over 60 years, was sulphonylurea monotherapy. The most frequent combination was a sul‐phonylurea with a biguanide. Nearly 40% of patients who had been diagnosed more than 25 years previously were receiving insulin therapy alone. In 70% of patients the reason for changing therapy in the previous five years was insufficient glycaemic control. Hypoglycaemia was the most common reason for treatment change in patients prescribed insulin with a sulphonylurea. One third of patients experienced at least one problem with their current treatment. The number of problems was related to the number of concomitant treatments. Hypoglycaemia, gastrointestinal problems and weight gain were the most common adverse events. These occurred most frequently in patients with severe Type 2 diabetes. This survey gives an insight into the nature of treatment, history of management, and problems associated with the current therapeutic choices for Type 2 diabetes.