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Observational Study
. 2021 Oct:180:108974.
doi: 10.1016/j.diabres.2021.108974. Epub 2021 Jul 22.

Health-related quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes initiating a second-line glucose-lowering therapy: The DISCOVER study

Antonio Nicolucci  1 , Hungta Chen  2 , Javier Cid-Ruzafa  3 , Andrew Cooper  4 , Peter Fenici  4 , Marilia B Gomes  5 , Niklas Hammar  6 , Kamlesh Khunti  7 , Mikhail Kosiborod  8 , Paul Leigh  4 , Jennie Medin  9 , Wolfgang Rathmann  10 , Marina V Shestakova  11 , Iichiro Shimomura  12 , Afrah Siddiqui  4 , Fengming Tang  13 , Hirotaka Watada  14 , Linong Ji  15 ; DISCOVER investigators
Affiliations
Observational Study

Health-related quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes initiating a second-line glucose-lowering therapy: The DISCOVER study

Antonio Nicolucci et al. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2021 Oct.

Abstract

Aim: To investigate factors associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) at initiation of second-line glucose-lowering therapy.

Methods: DISCOVER is a 3-year, prospective observational study of patients with T2D initiating second-line glucose-lowering therapy, conducted in 38 countries. HRQoL at baseline was assessed using the physical and mental component summary (PCS; MCS) scores of the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey version 2 (SF-36v2) in 31 countries (n = 8309) and the Hypoglycaemia Fear Survey-II (HFS-II) in 23 countries (n = 6516). Factors associated with differences in HRQoL were assessed using multivariable hierarchical regression models.

Results: Mean PCS and MCS scores were 48.0 (standard deviation [SD]: 7.8) and 45.5 (SD: 10.4), respectively. Factors associated with significantly lower SF-36v2 scores included being female, having a history of macrovascular complications and first-line treatment with oral combinations (vs metformin monotherapy). Mean HFS-II behaviour and worry scores were 8.2 (SD: 9.9) and 7.3 (SD: 11.8), respectively. Increased fear of hypoglycaemia was significantly associated with lower SF-36v2 scores.

Conclusions: Several patient-, disease- and treatment-related characteristics correlated with HRQoL, indicating that a multifactorial approach is needed to maintain HRQoL in patients with T2D.

Keywords: HRQoL; Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest KK, MBG, MK, AN, WR, MVS, IS, HW and LJ are members of the DISCOVER Scientific Committee and received financial support from AstraZeneca to attend DISCOVER planning and update meetings. HC, PF, JM and AS are employees of AstraZeneca. AC, NH and PL are former employees of AstraZeneca. JC-R is an employee of Evidera. AN has received honoraria from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly and Sanofi, and research support from Alfa Sigma, Medtronic, Novo Nordisk, Pikdare, Sanofi Shionogi, Swedish Orphan Biovitrum, and Theras. MBG has received honoraria from Merck Serono. KK has received honoraria from Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Janssen, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Napp, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, Servier and Pfizer, research support from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Sanofi and Servier, and also acknowledges support from the National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration–East Midlands (NIHR ARC–EM) and the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre. MK has received honoraria from Amarin, Amgen, Applied Therapeutics, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eisai, Eli Lilly, GlaxoSmithKline, Glytec Systems, Intarcia, Janssen, Merck (Diabetes), Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, and Vifo Pharama, and research support from AstraZeneca and Boehringer Ingelheim. WR has received honoraria from Boehringer Ingelheim and Novo Nordisk, and research support from Novo Nordisk. MVS has received honoraria from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Merck Sharpe & Dohme, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi and Servier, and research support from Novo Nordisk and Sanofi. IS has received honoraria from Astellas Pharma, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Kowa, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, Novo Nordisk, Ono Pharmaceutical, Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho and Takeda Pharmaceutical, and research support from Astellas Pharma, AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo, Eli Lilly, Japan Foundation for Applied Enzymology, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kowa, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Midori Health Management Center, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, Novo Nordisk, Ono Pharmaceutical, Sanofi, Suzuken Memorial Foundation and Takeda Pharmaceutical. HW has received honoraria from Astellas Pharma, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Daiichi Sankyo, Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma, Eli Lilly, Kissei Pharma, Kowa, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Ono Pharmaceutical, Sanofi, Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho and Takeda, and research support from Abbott, Astellas Pharma, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Benefit One Health Care, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Daiichi Sankyo, Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, Kissei Pharma, Kowa, Kyowa Hakko Kirin, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, Mochida Pharmaceutical, Nitto Boseki, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Ono Pharmaceutical, Pfizer, Sanofi, Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho, Souiken, Taisho Toyama Pharmaceutical, Takeda, Teijin, and Terumo Corp. FT is an employee of Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute and has received research support from AstraZeneca. LJ has received honoraria from AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Takeda, Sanofi and Roche, and research support from AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Novartis, Roche and Sanofi.

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