Prevalence of diabetes and frequency of glycated haemoglobin monitoring in Extremadura (Spain) during 2012, 2013 and 2014: An observational study.

Aims: To analyze the prevalence of diabetes and the frequency of haemoglobin A (HbA) monitoring in the population with diabetes in Extremadura (Spain).

Methods: Observational, longitudinal retrospective study in the population attended in the Extremadura Health System in 2012-2014. A total of 403,644 glycated haemoglobin determinations in 189,466 subjects (52.4% female) were studied. All patients with a prescription of antidiabetic drugs and those who, despite not having treatment, had any determination of HbA ≥6.5% were considered as people with diabetes. All patients without treatment but with HbA ≥5.7% and <6.5% were considered prediabetes patients.

Results: The prevalence rate of diabetes was 8.3% and the frequency of HbA monitoring was 0.9/patient/year in the diabetic population. 48.2% of the patients with monitoring of HbA had diabetes, 21.2% had prediabetes, and 30.6% did not meet the criteria for diabetes or prediabetes. 12.7% of people with diabetes did not have determinations of HbA and only 11.8% have had ≥6 determinations in the period analyzed.

Conclusions: The frequency of HbA monitoring in the diabetic population is lower than that usually recommended. Moreover, there is an inadequate use of HbA determinations, since one out of every 3 patients does not meet the criteria for diabetes or prediabetes.