Article Figures & Data
Figures
- Figure 1.
Algorithm for identifying incident cases of diabetes using automated database and medical record review.
- Figure 2.
Percentage of patients (n = 504) who had the following tests at the time of diabetes diagnosis.
HbA1c = glycated hemoglobin.
- Figure 3.
Proportion of newly diagnosed patients who reached then-recommended levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, or aspirin use.
Tables
- Table 1.
Clinical Parameters at Baseline and 12-Month Follow-Up for Adults With Newly Diagnosed Diabetes, by Type of Symptoms at Diagnosis
Follow-up, by Type of Symptoms at Diagnosis Baseline (N = 504) Follow-up (N = 504) Hyperglycemia (n = 163) Unrelated (n = 96) None (n = 207) Parameter No.* Baseline No.† Change No.† Change No.† Change No.† Change HbA1c = hemoglobin A1c; SBP = systolic blood pressure; DBP = diastolic blood pressure; LDL = low-density lipoprotein. * Number of patients with baseline value for the designated measure. † Number of patients with both baseline and follow-up values for the designated measure. ‡ P <.01. § P <.5. Weight, lb 452 207.7 442 −6.6‡ 133 −6.7‡ 85 −63.8‡ 184 −6.5‡ HbA1c, % 452 8.8 452 −1.7‡ 102 −2.8‡ 62 −1.1‡ 138 −1.2‡ SBP, mm Hg 471 137.5 439 −4.3‡ 132 −3.5§ 87 −2.5 181 −6.2‡ DBP, mm Hg 471 80.7 438 −3.4‡ 132 −3.9‡ 86 −3.0 181 −3.9‡ Aspirin use, % 504 15.3 504 +10.8‡ 163 +6.8§ 96 +17.7§ 207 +11.6§ LDL-cholesterol, mg/dL 200 133.4 136 −4.8§ 41 −5.6 26 −2.7 55 −6.2
The Article in Brief
Diabetes: How Are We Diagnosing and Initially Managing It?
Patrick J. O'Connor, MD MPH , and colleagues
Background It is estimated that 35% to 50% of diabetes cases are not diagnosed. This study was designed to determine how diabetes is diagnosed and initially managed by primary care clinicians.
What This Study Found In nearly one half of the 504 diabetes cases studied, the patient�s diabetes was diagnosed when the doctor recognized diabetes symptoms during a visit for another reason. Primary care practices can improve detection of undiagnosed diabetes and improve 1-year results by being alert to symptoms of diabetes, by evaluating those at high risk for this disorder, and by instituting appropriate treatments at the time of diagnosis.
Implications
- Timely diagnosis of diabetes is likely to be beneficial for diabetes patients.
- The authors call for more efforts to diagnose diabetes early.
