Initiation of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Medications in the NGHA Healthcare System in Saudi Arabia: Contemporary Trends

Background

Continuous updates in management guidelines for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have affected treatment patterns. In this study, we aimed to identify the prevalence of initiating various antidiabetic medications and analyze differences in patient characteristics based on the type of treatment initiated.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used data retrieved from the electronic medical records of the National Guard Health Affairs for all patients diagnosed with T2DM who initiated any antidiabetic therapy between January 2018 and May 2022. Patient data were presented using frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations where applicable. The antidiabetic classes investigated include metformin, insulin, sulfonylureas, thiazolidinediones, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, and sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors.

Results

In total, 433 patients with T2DM were included in this study, most of whom were females (55.66% vs 44.34%) and obese (61.20%), with a mean age of 53.29 years (SD ± 15.22). Monotherapy was the most commonly initiated approach (66.28%), with insulin being the most prescribed monotherapy (29.10%). The most frequent combination therapy was metformin and sulfonylureas (7.16%). Overall, the most initiated medication was metformin, accounting for 37.12% of all prescriptions. Additionally, there was an increasing trend in prescribing newer medications, such as GLP-1 receptor agonists (8.70%) and SGLT-2 inhibitors (11.11%), for newly diagnosed patients in 2021.

Conclusion

The initiation of novel antidiabetic medications has increased over the study period, reflecting recent updates in T2DM management guidelines. However, further understanding of their benefits is required for optimal patient care.