Duration of diabetes and types of diabetes therapy in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes: The Japan Diabetes Complication and its Prevention prospective study 3 (JDCP study 3)

AIMS/INTRODUCTION: To analyze the association between the duration of diabetes and selection of diabetes therapy in a large database of Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used the data of 5,844 patients with type 2 diabetes to evaluate the association between the duration of diabetes and types of diabetes therapy. The logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between duration of diabetes and selection of diabetes therapy, and restricted cubic spline curves were used to represent the schematic association. RESULTS: Overall, clinical characteristics of the patients were women, 39.9%; mean age, 61.4 years; median duration of diabetes, 9 years; mean glycated hemoglobin, 7.4% (57.0 mmol/mol); and mean body mass index, 24.5 kg/m(2). Compared with the first quartile of diabetes duration, the multivariable‐adjusted odds of any antidiabetic therapy (oral hypoglycemic agents or insulin) for the second, third and fourth quartiles were 2.17 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.68–2.80; 3.39, 95% CI 2.53–4.54; 4.99, 95% CI 3.64–6.84), respectively (P for trend <0.001), and these associations were attenuated after adjusting possible confounders. Furthermore, those of insulin therapy were 1.48 (95% CI 1.20–1.84; 2.16, 95% CI 1.77–2.64; 4.94, 95% CI 4.04–6.04), respectively (P for trend <0.001). Schematic representation of restricted cubic spline curves analysis showed that a longer duration of diabetes was linearly associated with the odds of insulin therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Obtained data showed that a longer duration of diabetes required complex diabetes drug regimens to be introduced to patients with type 2 diabetes.