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Table 2 Patient’s and glucose-lowering therapy (GLT) characteristics, according to GLT appropriateness (N = 318)

From: Poor health status, inappropriate glucose-lowering therapy and high one-year mortality in geriatric patients with type 2 diabetes

Variable

All patients

Appropriate GLT

GLT Overtreatment

GLT Undertreatment

p-value

n = 318

n = 79 (24.8%)

n = 182 (57.2%)

n = 57 (17.9%)

Median [P25; P75] or n (%)

Median [P25; P75] or n (%)

Median [P25; P75] or n (%)

Median [P25; P75] or n (%)

Age, in years

84 [80; 88]

84 [80; 87]

84 [81; 88]

83 [80; 87]

0.544

Female

146 (45.9)

34 (43.0)

89 (48.9)

23 (40.4)

0.443

Overall health category

 Intermediate overall health

105 (33.0)

33 (41.8)

52 (28.6)

20 (35.1)

0.107

 Poor overall health

213 (67.0)

46 (58.2)

130 (71.4)

37 (64.9)

Comorbidities

 Ischaemic heart disease

136 (42.8)

29 (36.7)

77 (42.3)

30 (52.6)

0.177

 Renal failure (n = 303)a

51 (16.8)

6 (7.9)

36 (21.1)

9 (16.1)

0.038

Geriatric features

 Nursing home residency

71 (22.3)

18 (22.8)

45 (24.7)

8 (14.0)

0.238

 Functional impairment b

201 (63.2)

44 (56.7)

123 (67.6)

34 (59.6)

0.155

 Severe polypharmacy c

139 (43.7)

33 (48.8)

82 (45.1)

24 (42.1)

0.855

 Cognitive impairment

183 (57.5)

46 (58.2)

106 (58.2)

33 (57.9)

0.999

 Recent falls

169 (53.1)

43 (54.4)

93 (51.1)

33 (57.9)

0.646

 Malnutrition

96 (30.2)

28 (35.4)

52 (28.6)

16 (28.1)

0.501

GLT characteristics

 HbA1c, in %

6.9 [6.1; 7.8]

6.8 [6.1; 7.6]

6.7 [6.1; 7.2]

9.2 [8.6; 10.1]

< 0.001

 Use of GLT classes

  Metformin

131 (41.2)

66 (83.5)

46 (25.3)

19 (33.3)

< 0.001

  Other NHGAd

9 (2.8)

5 (6.3)

3 (1.6)

1 (1.8)

0.101

  Hypoglycaemic agents

253 (79.6)

20 (25.3)

182 (100.0)

51 (89.5)

< 0.001

 Bi- or tri-therapy

78 (24.5)

12 (15.2)

49 (26.9)

17 (29.8)

0.076

 GLT total intensity, in DDD

0.9 [0.5; 1.4]

0.8 [0.4; 1.0]

0.8 [0.5; 1.3]

1.2 [0.8; 2.0]

0.014

  0–0.4 DDD

73 (23.0)

27 (34.2)

40 (22.0)

6 (10.5)

 

  0.5–0.9 DDD

103 (32.4)

29 (36.7)

58 (31.9)

16 (28.1)

0.002

   ≥ 1 DDD

142 (44.7)

23 (29.1)

84 (46.2)

35 (61.4)

 
  1. GLT Glucose-lowering therapy, HbA1c Glycated haemoglobin, DDD Defined daily dose, NHGA Non-hypoglycaemic agents; Hypoglycaemic agents include insulin, sulfonylureas and glinides
  2. adefined as estimated glomerular filtration rate < 30 ml/min
  3. bdefined as ≥2 impairments in basic activities of daily living, including eating, bathing, toileting, transferring and dressing
  4. cdefined as ≥10 drugs/day
  5. dOther non-hypoglycaemic agents were DPP4-inhibitors, thiazolidinediones and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors