Rationale,design and baseline patient characteristics of the optimal type 2 diabetes management including benchmarking and standard treatment study in Greece

• Published in: World journal of diabetes 2014-02, Vol.5 (1), p.76-83
• Main Authors: Kostapanos, Michael S, Tsimihodimos, Vasilis, Elisaf, Moses S, Tzouvelekis, Emmanouil, Nikas, Nikos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Benchmarking; Blood; Brief; control; Diabetes; Dyslipidemia; Glycemic; pressure; tar-get; Treatment
• ISSN: 1948-9358; 1948-9358
• DOI: 10.4239/wjd.v5.i1.76

AIM:To describe baseline data of the optimal type2 diabetes management including benchmarking and standard treatment(OPTIMISE)study in Greece.METHODS:"Benchmarking"is the process of receiving feedback comparing one’s performance with that of others.The OPTIMISE(NCT00681850)study is a multinational,multicenter study assessing,at a primary care level,whether using"benchmarking"can help to improve the quality of patient care,compared with a set of guideline-based reference values("non-benchmarking").In the Greek region,797 outpatients(457men,mean age 63.8 years)with type 2 diabetes were enrolled by 84 office-based physicians.Baseline characteristics of this population are presented.RESULTS:Hypertension was the most prevalent concomitant disorder(77.3%)and coronary heart disease was the most frequent macrovascular complication of diabetes(23.8%).Most patients were overweight or obese(body mass index 29.6±5 kg/m2),exhibiting mostly abdominal obesity(waist circumference102.6±13.6 cm).Biguanides were the most prevalent prescribed drugs for the management of diabetes(70.1%of all prescriptions),whereas statins(93.5%of all prescriptions)and angiotensin receptor blockers(55.8%of all prescriptions)were the most prevalent prescribed drugs for hyperlipidemia and hypertension,respectively.Only 37.4%of patients were on aspirin.Despite treatment,pre-defined targets for fasting plasma glucose(<110 mg/dL),glycated hemoglobin(<7%),systolic blood pressure(<130 mmHg and<125mmHg for patients with proteinuria)and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels(<100 mg/dL and<70mg/dL for patients with coronary heart disease)were reached in a relatively small proportion of patients(29%,53%,27%and 31%,respectively).In a Greek population with type 2 diabetes,the control of glycemia or concomitant disorders which increase cardiovascular risk remains poor.CONCLUSION:Despite relevant treatment,there is a poor control of diabetes,hypertension and hyperlipidemia in Greek outpatients with type 2 diabetes.