Affiliation:
1. First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Medical School,
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Laiko General Hospital, Athens,
Greece
2. e-Government Center for Social Security Services (IDIKA), Athens,
Greece
Abstract
Abstract
Objectives This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and incidence of
medication-treated diabetes mellitus and the evolving patterns of
glucose-lowering treatments the year before and during the first two years of
the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Methods Data from the Greek electronic prescription database were analyzed
for 2019, 2020, and 2021. The study population included individuals with active
social security numbers. Prevalence and incidence rates were calculated based on
the dispensing of glucose-lowering medications according to their unique
anatomical therapeutic chemical (ATC) code.
Results The study population comprised 10,289,140 individuals in 2019,
10,630,726 in 2020, and 11,246,136 in 2021. Diabetes prevalence rates were
8.06%, 6.89%, and 7.91%, and incidence rates were 16.8/1000, 8.6/1000, and
13.4/1000 individuals, respectively. Metformin was the most prescribed
medication, and newer classes, like sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors 2
(SGLT-2) inhibitors and glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists
exhibited increasing trends.
Conclusions The study identified a decrease in medication-prescribed
diabetes prevalence and incidence during the initial year of the COVID-19
pandemic, attributed to healthcare access restrictions. Subsequently, figures
returned close to baseline levels. Glucose-lowering medication trends reflected
adherence to local and international guidelines, with metformin as the
cornerstone, and increasing preference for newer classes such as GLP-1 receptor
agonists and SGLT-2 inhibitors.