Research finds hyperlink between racial elements and chance of getting confirmed diabetes therapy

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A new study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine found significant differences in the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2), a class of drugs that have been shown to treat type 2 diabetes, being use remains low in black, Asian and low-income groups despite an increase in overall use in patients with type 2 diabetes. The study was published in JAMA Network Open.

“One study after another, including large randomized trials, has shown this class of drugs to be cardiovascular and kidney protective,” said lead author Lauren Eberly, MD, MPH, a cardiology fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. “We know that black patients already have higher rates of heart failure and kidney disease. It is worrying that this is a therapy that we know will prevent death from and progression from these conditions, and yet it does.” we found this to be the case with black patients. ” less likely to receive this therapy, as well as female patients and those of lower socioeconomic status. “

SGLT2 inhibitors are a group of drugs that lower the level of glucose in the blood by blocking the protein that reabsorbs sugar from the urine into the body. They lower the risk of hospitalization for heart failure, lower the risk of death from cardiovascular causes, slow the progression of kidney disease, reduce complications in patients with chronic kidney disease, and are now recommended for all diabetics who are at high risk for these conditions.

In this study, the researchers examined the data from October 2015 to June 2019 of more than 900,000 different commercially insured patients with type 2 diabetes and found that the cumulative percentage of patients treated with SGLT2 inhibitors rose from 3.8 percent to 11 .9 percent rose.

However, the analyzes showed that black, Asian, and female patients had lower rates of SGLT2 inhibitors, as well as patients whose median household income was less than $ 50,000. The study also found that usage rates remained low in patients with heart failure, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease.

“These results are in line with previous studies that have shown the use of less novel therapies in black patients. Implementation strategies that prioritize not only the provision of policy-driven care but also fair policy-driven care are critical to ensuring that everyone Patients have access to evidence-based therapies, “said the study’s lead author, Dr. med. Srinath Adusumalli, MSHP, Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine in the Cardiovascular Medicine Department.

The study found that a visit to an endocrinologist in the past 12 months was one of the most powerful factors associated with SGLT2 inhibitor use, recognizing that the demonstrated clinical benefit was for many non-specialist providers treating patients with diabetes , may not yet be widely known. In addition, marginalized patient populations are likely to have barriers to accessing specialized care. Eberly and her colleagues encourage the development of strategies to increase the convenience of all providers, particularly primary care and cardiology providers, by prescribing this class of drugs.

“If these inequalities in usage are not addressed, they will add to the well-documented differences in cardiovascular and renal outcomes in the US,” said Eberly.

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More information:
JAMA Network Open (2021). DOI: 10.1001 / jamanetworkopen.2021.6139 Provided by the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Quote: The study finds a link between racist factors and the likelihood of proven diabetes treatment (2021, April 15), accessed on April 15, 2021 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-04-link-racial-factors- likelihood-proven.html

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