Clinical and Economic Benefits Associated With the Achievement of Both HbA1c and LDL Cholesterol Goals in Veterans With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

OBJECTIVE This study compared the clinical and economic benefits associated with dual-goal achievement, glycated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) <7% (53 mmol/mol) and LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) <100 mg/dL, with achievement of only the LDL-C goal or only the HbA_1c goal in veterans with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This retrospective cohort analysis evaluated electronic medical records (Veterans Integrated Service Network 16) in adult T2DM patients with two or more measurements of LDL-C and HbA_1c between 1 January 2004 and 30 June 2010 (N = 75,646). Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare microvascular and cardiovascular outcomes by goal achievement status; generalized linear regression models were used to assess diabetes-related resource utilization (hospitalization days and number of outpatient visits) and medical service costs.  Read more