Trends in diabetes prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control in French-speaking Switzerland

TL;DR

This study examines diabetes trends in French-speaking Switzerland, finding that while prevalence has decreased, treatment and control remain suboptimal.

Contribution

The study provides updated insights into diabetes management trends in a specific Swiss region over 15 years.

Findings

Diabetes prevalence and diagnosis rates decreased between 2005–9 and 2015–9.

Treatment and control rates for diagnosed diabetes remained largely unchanged.

Combination antidiabetic therapy increased, while use of sulfonylureas and biguanides decreased.

Abstract

Diabetes is increasing in Switzerland, but whether its management has improved is unknown. We aimed to assess diabetes prevalence, diagnosis, treatment, and control in French-speaking Switzerland. Our study used cross-sectional data for years 2005–2019 from a population-based study in Geneva, Switzerland. Overall prevalence (self-reported diagnosis and/or fasting plasma glucose level ≥ 7 mmol/L), diagnosed, treated (among diagnosed participants) and controlled diabetes (defined as a fasting plasma glucose FPG < 6.7 mmol/L among treated participants) were calculated for periods 2005–9, 2010–4 and 2015–9. Data from 12,348 participants (mean age ± standard deviation: 48.6 ± 13.5 years, 51.7% women) was used. Between 2005–9 and 2015–9, overall prevalence and frequency of diagnosed diabetes decreased (from 8.7 to 6.2% and from 7.0 to 5.2%, respectively). Among participants diagnosed with diabetes, treatment and control rates did not change from 44.1 to 51.9%, p = 0.251 and from 30.2 to 34.0%, p = 0.830, respectively. A trend towards higher treatment of participants with diabetes was found after multivariable adjustment, while no changes were found for overall prevalence, diagnosis, nor control. Among antidiabetic drugs, percentage of combinations increased from 12 to 23%; percentage of sulfonylureas and biguanides decreased from 15 to 6% and from 63 to 54%, respectively, while no trend was found for insulin. After multivariable analysis, women with diabetes were less likely to be treated but more likely to be controlled, the opposite association being found for obesity. In conclusion, in Canton Geneva, antidiabetic combination therapy is gaining importance, but only half of participants diagnosed with diabetes are treated, and glycaemic control remains poor.

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