Endocrine Abstracts

Objectives: To evaluate the characteristics of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) attended in a rural primary care setting and to analyze associated antidiabetic treatment and metabolic control.

Methods: Cross-sectional study which included patients with T2DM followed in a rural primary care setting. Data about age, sex, body mass index (BMI), associated antidiabetic treatment, and HbA1c was collected.

Results: Seventy nine patients were included in this study, with a mean duration of T2DM of 5.9 years (S.D. 5), mean age 70.1 years (DE 11.8), 63.3% males, and mean BMI 30.8 kg/m² (DE 5.7). 100% of patients were under antidiabetic treatment: oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) 74.7%, OADs + insulin 20.3%, insulin alone 5%. Mean number of OADS was 1.3 (65.4% monotherapy, double therapy 28%, triple therapy 6.6%). Most used drugs were metformin (85.3%), DPP4 inhibitors (29.3%) and sulfonilureas (20%). Most used insulin therapy was basal insulin + rapid-acting insulin (55%), followed by basal alone (35) and pre-mixed insulins (10%). Mean insulin dose was 62.3 units (DE 37.1) and mean HbA1c value was 6.8% (DE 0.9). 61% of patients showed adequate metabolic control (defined by HbA1c <7%).

Conclusions: Most patients with T2DM in a rural setting are obese elderly men. Antidiabetic therapy is usually based on oral drugs, being metformin the commonest drug. Metabolic control was adequate in this group of patients, achieving more than 60% of patients HbA1c <7%.