Increased use of newer meds for diabetic nephropathy in the U.S.

(HealthDay)—From 2010 to 2014 there was an increase in use of diabetes medications, including sulfonylureas and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4 inhibitors), among patients with diabetic nephropathy, according to a study published online March 15 in the Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics.

Using the IMS Health's National Disease and Therapeutic Index, Oyintayo Ajiboye, M.D., M.P.H., and Jodi B. Segal, M.D., M.P.H., from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, analyzed medication prescription patterns for six classes of medications among patients with diabetic nephropathy.

The researchers observed an increase in the number of annual office visits, from 772,860 in 2010 to 1,868,618 in 2013, followed by a decrease to 830,596 in 2014. Of the four classes of diabetes medications included in the study, the most frequently used were sulfonylureas and DPP-4 inhibitors. Use of DDP-4 inhibitors gradually increased; by the last quarter of 2014 they were used in 54 percent of treatment visits. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers were prescribed in most treatment visits across these years, with peaks above 90 percent, although there were some periods when their use was low.

"Future studies should assess if the utilization of these medications continues to increase over time and should generate more evidence on the factors affecting the different treatment options so that more focused interventions can be done to improve patient outcomes," the authors write.

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