Long-term durable glycemic control is a difficult goal in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We evaluated the factors associated with durable glycemic control in a real clinical setting.
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 194 new-onset, drug-naïve patients with T2DM who were diagnosed between January 2011 and March 2013, and were followed up for >2 years. Glycemic durability was defined as the maintenance of optimal glycemic control (glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c] <7.0%) for 2 years without substitution or adding other glucose-lowering agents. Clinical factors and glycemic markers associated with glycemic durability were compared between two groups: a durability group and a non-durability group.
Patients in the durability group had a higher baseline body mass index (26.1 kg/m2 vs. 24.9 kg/m2) and lower HbA1c (8.6% vs. 9.7%) than the non-durability group. The initial choice of glucose-lowering agents was similar in both groups, except for insulin and sulfonylureas, which were more frequently prescribed in the non-durability group. In multiple logistic regression analyses, higher levels of education, physical activity, and homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-β) were associated with glycemic durability. Notably, lower HbA1c (<7.0%) at baseline and first follow-up were significantly associated with glycemic durability (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 7.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.51 to 22.3) (adjusted OR, 9.27; 95% CI, 1.62 to 53.1, respectively), after adjusting for confounding variables including the types of glucose-lowering agents.
Early achievement of HbA1c level within the glycemic target was a determinant of long-term glycemic durability in new-onset T2DM, as were higher levels of education, physical activity, and HOMA-β.
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The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) III (2005) reported that 22.9% of individuals with diabetes have a glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) <6.5% and that 43.5% have an HbA1c <7%. We investigated the levels of glycemic control and the factors associated with glycemic control using data from the KNHANES V (2010 to 2012).
Subjects with diabetes diagnosed by a physician or those taking antidiabetic medications were classified as individuals with known diabetes. Of 1,498 subjects aged ≥30 years with diabetes, we excluded 157 individuals who were missing HbA1c data. A total of 1,341 subjects were included in the final analysis.
The prevalence of known diabetes was 7.7% (
The level of adequate glycemic control was similar to but slightly improved compared with previous levels. The glycemic control of long-standing diabetes patients is more difficult even though they receive insulin treatment.
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