An increasing number of type 2 diabetes patients in the U.S. are being treated by a progressively complex mix of therapies, according to a study featured in Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA/Archives journal. The report is the first to be published by members of the Health Services Research Network (HSRN), a consortium of leading U.S. academicians that conducts independent research using IMS Health’s evidence-based information to address key healthcare issues.

The study, “National Trends in Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, 1994-2007,” documents the dramatic growth of Americans diagnosed with type 2 diabetes — from 11 million patients in 2000 to an expected 29 million by 2050. Authors G. Caleb Alexander, MD, MS, of the University of Chicago Hospitals, Randall S. Stafford, MD, PhD, Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University, and their colleagues found that between 1994 and 2007, the estimated number of yearly patient visits to treat diabetes increased from 25 million to 36 million.

Among the findings cited were the growing complexity and costs of treating type 2 diabetes. The greater availability of new, innovative oral antidiabetic and insulin medications, as well as the increased use of combination therapies to treat patients with diabetes, contributed to these trends. During the period reviewed by the study, the number of doctor visits in which only one drug was prescribed decreased from 82 percent to 47 percent, and the average number of medications prescribed per treated patient rose from 1.14 to 1.63.

More than one-tenth of U.S. healthcare expenditures are attributable to diabetes, the authors write. “Our findings suggest the importance of generating new comparative data and coupling this information with clinical and formulary guidelines that contribute to constraining costs, maximizing glycemic control and minimizing diabetes-related morbidity and mortality.”