Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Management in Canada: Is It Improving?

Abstract Objective To gain insight into the current management of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus by Canadian primary care physicians. Method A total of 479 primary care physicians from across Canada submitted data on 5123 type 2 diabetes patients whom they had seen on a single day on or around World Diabetes Day, November 14, 2012. Results Mean glycated hemoglobin (A1C) was 7.4%, low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) was 2.1 mmol/L and blood pressure (BP) was 128/75 mm Hg. A1C ≤7.0% was met by 50%, LDL-C ≤2.0 mmol/L by 57%, BP 3 drugs, respectively, with 59% prescribed angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and 35% angiotensin II receptor blockers. Conclusions The Diabetes Mellitus Status in Canada survey highlights the persistent treatment gap associated with the treatment of type 2 diabetes and the challenges faced by primary care physicians to gain glycemic control and global vascular protection in these patients. It also reveals a higher use of insulin therapy in primary care practices relative to previous surveys. Practical strategies aimed at more effectively managing type 2 diabetes patients are urgently needed.