Characteristics of African American and White VHA Patients Aged ≥50 Years Who Received Either a New Metformin or a New Sulfonylurea Prescription Fill (N = 73,761)
| Covariate | White (n = 63,202) | African American (n = 10,559) | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medication initiated, no. (%) | |||
| Metformin | 47,821 (75.7) | 8,038 (76.1) | .307 |
| Sulfonylurea | 15,381 (24.3) | 2,521 (23.9) | |
| Index year, no. (%) | |||
| 2002-2004 | 3,653 (5.8) | 486 (4.6) | |
| 2005-2006 | 20,728 (32.8) | 3,250 (30.8) | |
| 2007-2008 | 16,714 (26.4) | 2,636 (25.0) | <.001 |
| 2009-2010 | 13,016 (20.6) | 2,381 (22.5) | |
| 2011-2012 | 9,091 (14.4) | 1,806 (17.1) | |
| Sociodemographic related | |||
| Age, y, mean (±SD) | 61.3 (±8.6) | 58.2 (±7.5) | <.001 |
| Age category, y, no. (%) | |||
| 50-64 | 40,811 (64.6) | 8,325 (78.8) | |
| 65-74 | 16,414 (26.0) | 1,824 (17.3) | <.001 |
| ≥75 | 5,977 (9.5) | 410 (3.9) | |
| Male sex, no. (%) | 61,353 (97.1) | 10,049 (95.2) | <.001 |
| Married, no. (%) | 38,549 (61.0) | 5,062 (47.9) | <.001 |
| Low nSES, no. (%) | 30,134 (47.7) | 6,865 (65.0) | <.001 |
| VHA insurance only, no. (%) | 27,705 (43.8) | 6,044 (57.2) | <.001 |
| High health care use, no. (%) | 15,378 (24.3) | 3,134 (29.7) | <.001 |
| Diabetes related | |||
| Diabetic nephropathy, no. (%) | 753 (1.2) | 132 (1.3) | .608 |
| Diabetic retinopathy, no. (%) | 3,275 (5.2) | 560 (5.3) | .602 |
| Diabetic neuropathy, no. (%) | 4,696 (7.4) | 618 (5.9) | <.001 |
| HbA1c value, %, mean (±SD) | 7.2 (±1.4) | 7.4 (±1.7) | <.001 |
| HbA1c category, no. (%) | |||
| <7% | 32,895 (52.0) | 4,875 (46.2) | |
| 7-8% | 19,439 (30.8) | 3,431 (32.5) | <.001 |
| >8% | 10,868 (17.2) | 2,253 (21.3) | |
| Creatinine value, mg/dL, mean (±SD) | 1.0 (±0.2) | 1.1 (±0.2) | <.001 |
| Other comorbidities | |||
| Obesity, no. (%) | 38,216 (60.5) | 5,846 (55.4) | <.001 |
| Hypertension, no. (%) | 57,326 (90.7) | 9,751 (92.3) | <.001 |
| Hyperlipidemia, no. (%) | 55,918 (88.5) | 8,252 (78.2) | <.001 |
| Stroke, no. (%) | 4,304 (6.8) | 696 (6.6) | .409 |
| Ischemic heart disease, no. (%) | 31,514 (49.9) | 3,828 (36.3) | <.001 |
| Congestive heart failure, no. (%) | 11,609 (18.4) | 1,397 (13.2) | <.001 |
| Atrial fibrillation, no. (%) | 9,091 (14.4) | 699 (6.6) | <.001 |
| Traumatic brain injury, no. (%) | 3,993 (6.3) | 638 (6.0) | .280 |
| Vitamin B12 deficiency, no. (%) | 3,243 (5.1) | 377 (3.6) | <.001 |
| Psychiatric and substance comorbidities | |||
| Depression, no. (%) | 18,165 (28.7) | 2,946 (27.9) | .077 |
| PTSD, no. (%) | 11,704 (18.5) | 2,631 (24.9) | <.001 |
| Other anxiety, no. (%)a | 9,076 (14.4) | 1,081 (10.2) | <.001 |
| Bipolar disorder, no. (%) | 4,926 (7.8) | 823 (7.8) | .999 |
| Schizophrenia, no. (%) | 3,008 (4.8) | 1,063 (10.1) | <.001 |
| Nicotine dependence/smoking, no. (%) | 33,240 (52.6) | 6,072 (57.5) | <.001 |
| Alcohol abuse/dependence, no. (%) | 9,209 (14.6) | 2,620 (24.8) | <.001 |
| Illicit drug abuse/dependence, no. (%) | 3,988 (6.3) | 2,012 (19.1) | <.001 |
| Other medicationsb | |||
| Statins, no. (%) | 45,061 (71.3) | 6,276 (59.4) | <.001 |
| Anticholinergics, no. (%) | 28,035 (44.4) | 5,243 (49.7) | <.001 |
| NSAIDs, no. (%) | 34,581 (54.7) | 6,794 (64.3) | <.001 |
| Antihypertensives, no. (%) | 55,492 (87.8) | 9,273 (87.8) | .954 |
HbA1c = hemoglobin A1c; NSAID = nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug; nSES = neighborhood socioeconomic status; PTSD = posttraumatic stress disorder; VHA = Veterans Health Administration.
↵a Other anxiety disorders = panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, anxiety not otherwise specified.
↵b Other medications = sustained use before metformin or sulfonylurea (at least 2 fills in a 6-month period).
NSAID = nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug; PTSD = posttraumatic stress disorder; VHA = Veterans Health Administration.