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. 2024 Jul;26(7):2933-2944.
doi: 10.1111/dom.15619. Epub 2024 May 2.

Prescription medication use among patients with type 2 diabetes in the United States: 1999-2020

Shanshan Li  1   2 , Shaoxi Pan  1   2   3 , Shaoxiang Jiang  1 , Jung-Im Shin  4   5 , Gordon G Liu  1   2   6 , Beini Lyu  1
Affiliations

Prescription medication use among patients with type 2 diabetes in the United States: 1999-2020

Shanshan Li et al. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2024 Jul.

Abstract

Aims: We aimed to examine trends in overall prescription medication use among patients with type 2 diabetes in the United States to provide insights for patient care.

Materials and methods: We used nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2020 and included adult patients with type 2 diabetes. We examined the use of prescription drugs, overall and by drug class, polypharmacy (use of ≥5 medications), and number of medications attributed to specific classes.

Results: In the period 2015-2020, the mean patient age was 59.6 (51.0-70.0) years, with 46.8% (43.6-49.9) being female and 57.8% (52.8-62.8) being non-Hispanic White. Among 9489 adults with type 2 diabetes, the prevalence of polypharmacy was high and increased from 35.1% (31.6-38.6) in 1999-2002 to 47.2% (43.7-50.7) in 2003-2006, and further to 51.1% (48.3-53.9) in 2015-2020 (p for trend <0.001). Increasing trends of polypharmacy were found across all population subgroups and across the majority of therapeutic classes. Use of non-cardiometabolic medications was common. Among them, the most common were antidepressants (19.8%), proton pump inhibitors (19.0%) and analgesics (16.2%). Among patients with polypharmacy, approximately 40% of medication use was attributed to non-cardiometabolic medications.

Conclusions: Prescription medication burden and complexity increased substantially among patients with type 2 diabetes, with more than 50% of patients with polypharmacy. Attention should be paid to this escalating medication use and regimen complexity, which requires multidisciplinary and coordinated care.

Keywords: antidepressant; medication use; polypharmacy; type 2 diabetes.

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