Management and treatment goals in Polish patients with type 2 diabetes of short duration: results of the ARETAEUS2‑Grupa study

INTRODUCTION In 2011, the Diabetes Poland updated its recommended goals in diabetes treatment, including hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and blood pressure (BP) levels. Adherence to the updated guidelines has not been systematically assessed so far.
OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to assess which methods are most commonly used in the treatment of recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes and to what extent the new criteria for diabetes control are met in these patients.
PATIENTS AND METHODS The ARETAEUS2‑Grupa study was a cross‑sectional questionnaire‑based study conducted in Poland in 2012 (April–June). It involved 1636 patients of any age and sex, with type 2 diabetes diagnosed within the previous 2 years, recruited by randomly selected physicians.
RESULTS Of all patients, 37.5% met the goal of an HbA1c level of ≤6.5% (recommended in type 2 diabetes of short duration), while 62% met the goal of an HbA1c level of ≤7% (general recommendation). Only 6.7% of the patients met all 3 goals (HbA1c ≤6.5%, BP <140/90 mmHg, and low‑density lipoprotein cholesterol <100 mg/dl or <70 mg/dl in coronary heart disease), 29.7% met 2 goals, 36.8% met only 1 goal, while 26.7% did not meet any of the treatment goals. With the use of the HbA1c level recommended for the overall population, the proportions of patients meeting 3, 2, and 1 goals increased to 11%, 34.5%, and 35.5%, respectively, while the percentage of the patients not meeting any goals decreased to 18%. Metformin in monotherapy or in combination was the most commonly used drug in the study population (80%). 
CONCLUSIONS The majority of the patients with type 2 diabetes of short duration did not meet any of the treatment goals as recommended in the current practice guidelines. When the treatment goals were used for the overall population (HbA1c ≤7%), a slightly higher, but still unsatisfactory, proportion of the patients met all the treatment goals. Metformin alone or in combination was the most commonly used drug in the study population.