Real‐world use of cardioprotective glucose‐lowering drugs in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease: A Danish nationwide cohort study, 2012 to 2019

Aims To investigate temporal trends in time to initiation of sodium‐glucose co‐transporter‐2 inhibitors and glucagon‐like peptide 1 analogues (cardioprotective glucose‐lowering drugs [GLDs]) in patients with a new dual diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Materials and methods In a cohort study, we identified patients with a new dual diagnosis of T2DM and CVD using linked healthcare data from nationwide registries on drug prescriptions and diagnosis codes. For each calendar year between 2012 and 2018, we examined time to initiation and cumulative user proportions (CUPs) for cardioprotective GLD use 1 and 2 years after the dual diagnosis. Results Among all individuals living in Denmark in the period 2012 to 2018, 41 733 patients with a new dual diagnosis of T2DM and CVD were identified (median [interquartile range] age 71 [64–79] years, 61% male, and 57% with CVD as the latest diagnosis). Incidence curve slopes and 1‐ and 2‐year CUPs for cardioprotective GLDs increased during the study period (1‐year CUP 4.0%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.6–4.5) in 2012 to 14.7, 95% CI 13.7–15.7, in 2018; 2‐year CUP 5.5, 95% CI 5.0–6.1, in 2012 to 16.7, 95% CI 15.8–17.7, in 2017). T2DM patients with CVD as the second (latest) diagnosis had higher 1‐year CUPs than CVD patients with T2DM as the latest diagnosis: 2012: 7.0 (95% CI 6.2–8.0) versus 1.4 (95% CI 1.0–1.8); 2018: 18.1 (95% CI 16.8–19.6) versus 10.0 (95% CI 8.8‐11.3). Conclusions In patients with T2DM and CVD, the incidence of cardioprotective GLD initiation increased between 2012 and 2018, however, within 2 years of dual diagnosis, it remained low.