Treatment approach and HbA1c control among US adults with type 2 diabetes: NHANES 1999-2004

ABSTRACT Objective: To examine the distribution of diabetic medications among adults with type 2 diabetes, and the association between glucose control and treatment approach in the US population. Methods: Interview and prescription medication data from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used to determine the treatment approach for US adults with type 2 diabetes. Mean glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and the proportion of adults meeting recommended guidelines for glucose control were estimated for each treatment approach. The most important study limitation was that participants were not asked what type of diabetes they had. Among adults with diabetes, a classification algorithm was used to identify those with type 2 diabetes. Results: During 1999-2004, approximately 60% of adults with type 2 diabetes used oral agents only to manage their diabetes. The distribution of oral treatment therapies changed over time (p