Diseases of civilization such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), obesity and hypertension are now widespread in the population. Patients with T2DM have a higher risk of cardiovascular complications and mortality than patients without diabetes.
An article entitled "Age-dependent prevalence of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular risk profiles and use of diabetes drugs in Germany using health claims data" was published in the renowned journal "Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism" (2-year impact factor (2021) of 6,408 according to Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate, 2022)), which, in addition to prevalence, takes a closer look at the comorbidity profile and the care of patients with T2DM.
Corresponding author Prof. Dr. Dennis Häckl, Assistant Professor of Health Economics and Management at the Institute of Public Finance and Public Management at the University of Leipzig, and his coauthors address the age dependency of T2DM in the German population.
While the prevalence among individuals aged 18 years or older was estimated to be 11.9% in the German statutory health insurance system in 2018, the prevalence increased with age to a maximum in the 80-84 age group (30.9% for women and 35.3% for men, respectively). Against the background of demographic change, an increasing prevalence can therefore be assumed.
Most patients with T2DM had at least one cardiovascular risk factor, so future prevention efforts should be considered early to reduce both disease and economic burden.
Detailed information on the comorbidity profile and antidiabetic drug utilization can be found in the article, which is available free of charge.