Regional differences of glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Switzerland: a national cross-sectional survey

• Published in: Swiss medical weekly 2011, Vol.141 (2728), p.w13218-w13218
• Main Authors: Gerber, Philipp Andreas, Spirk, David, Brändle, Michael, Thoenes, Martin, Lehmann, Roger, Keller, Ulrich
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; antihyperglycaemic medication; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Blood Pressure; Body Mass Index; body weight; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Cholesterol, LDL - blood; Creatinine - blood; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - complications; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - drug therapy; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - ethnology; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; glycaemic control; Glycated Hemoglobin A - metabolism; Health Surveys; Humans; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; Insulin; Insulin - therapeutic use; Male; Middle Aged; Obesity - complications; Retrospective Studies; Switzerland; Triglycerides - blood; type 2 diabetes
• ISSN: 1424-7860; 1424-3997
• DOI: 10.4414/smw.2011.13218

We investigated contemporary diabetes care, quality of glycaemic control, and progression of obesity in patients with diabetes mellitus in different cultural regions within Switzerland. Overall, 1121 patients treated for type 2 diabetes mellitus by 134 general practitioners were enrolled in this representative, national, cross-sectional survey and were followed retrospectively from the start of diabetes treatment. Patients were classified into four cultural regions; the German, French, Italian and Romansh speaking parts of Switzerland. During 5.5 ± 5.1 years of diabetes treatment (retrospective survey), mean HbA1c decreased from 8.28 ± 2.01% to 7.03 ± 1.24%, fasting glucose decreased from 9.97 ± 3.86 to 7.52 ± 2.23 mmol/l, and BMI decreased from 30.2 ± 5.5 to 29.8 ± 5.6 kg/m² (p