Adherence to Guidelines for Screening and Medication Use: Mortality and Onset of Major Macrovascular Complications in Elderly Persons With Diabetes Mellitus.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to investigate relationships between adherence to recommended screening and medication use and severe macrovascular complications and all-cause mortality among persons aged above 68 years with diabetes mellitus (DM).

METHOD: Data came from a 5% Medicare claims sample of beneficiaries initially diagnosed with DM during 2006-2008; follow-up was up to 7 years.

RESULTS

Adherence to screening guidelines led to reduced mortality-hazard ratio (HR) = 0.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.56, 0.58]; congestive heart failure [CHF], HR = 0.89, CI = [0.87, 0.91]; acute myocardial infarction [AMI], HR = 0.90, CI = [0.85, 0.95]; and stroke/transient ischemic attack [Stroke/TIA], HR = 0.92, CI = [0.87, 0.97]-during follow-up. Recommended medication use led to lower mortality: HR = 0.72, CI = [0.70, 0.73]; CHF, HR = 0.67, CI = [0.66, 0.69]; AMI, HR = 0.68, CI = [0.65, 0.71]; and Stroke/TIA, HR = 0.79, CI = [0.76, 0.83].

DISCUSSION: Elderly persons newly diagnosed with diabetes who adhered to recommended care experienced reduced risk of mortality and severe macrovascular complications.