Patient-reported outcomes in a survey of patients treated with oral antihyperglycaemic medications: associations with hypoglycaemia and weight gain

  1. E. Marrett1,2,*,
  2. T. Stargardt1,3,
  3. P. Mavros1,
  4. C. M. Alexander1

Article first published online: 16 SEP 2009

DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-1326.2009.01123.x

Issue

Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism

Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism

Volume 11, Issue 12, pages 1138–1144, December 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Marrett, E., Stargardt, T., Mavros, P. and Alexander, C. M. (2009), Patient-reported outcomes in a survey of patients treated with oral antihyperglycaemic medications: associations with hypoglycaemia and weight gain. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 11: 1138–1144. doi: 10.1111/j.1463-1326.2009.01123.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Global Outcomes Research, Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA

  2. 2

    Department of Epidemiology, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey–School of Public Health, Piscataway, NJ, USA

  3. 3

    Institute of Health Economics and Health Care Management, Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Germany

*Elizabeth Marrett, MPH, Global Outcomes Research, Merck & Co., Inc., WS2E85, 1 Merck Dr. Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889 USA. E-mail: elizabeth_marrett@merck.com

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 10 NOV 2009
  2. Article first published online: 16 SEP 2009
  3. Received 14 April 2009; returned for revision 18 June 2009; revised version accepted 11 July 2009

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Keywords:

  • hypoglycaemia;
  • oral antihyperglycaemic agents;
  • patient-reported outcomes;
  • type 2 diabetes;
  • weight gain

Aim: To examine the association between medication side-effects (SEs) and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) among patients with type 2 diabetes treated with oral antihyperglycaemic agents (OAHAs).

Methods: A total of 1984 participants responded to an internet-based survey in the United States. Data were collected on hypoglycaemia 6 months and weight gain 12 months prior to the survey. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was measured using the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D). Also administered were the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication v.1.4 (TSQM) and the Hypoglycaemia Fear Survey II (HFS).

Results: Symptoms of hypoglycaemia were reported by 62.9% of participants, and 36.9% reported weight gain. For those reporting hypoglycaemia, mean scores were lower for TSQM and EQ-5D and higher for HFS when compared with those with no symptoms (TSQM: 69.7 vs. 75.1; EQ-5D: 0.78 vs. 0.86; HFS: 17.5 vs. 6.2; all p < 0.0001). The same remained true when accounting for symptom severity, where severity was monotonically related with PRO scores (all p < 0.0001). Similarly, reported weight gain was associated with lower treatment satisfaction (69.0 vs. 73.3) and HRQoL (0.77 vs. 0.83), and increased fear of hypoglycaemia (15.7 vs. 11.8) (all p < 0.0001). In mixed linear regression analysis, the associations between medication SEs and PROs remained significant after adjusting for patient and disease characteristics.

Conclusions: Among patients with type 2 diabetes treated with OAHAs, self-reported hypoglycaemia and weight gain were associated with decreased treatment satisfaction and HRQoL. In addition, the presence of these SEs was associated with increased fear of hypoglycaemia.

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