Open AccessRelative frequency of cardiology vs. endocrinology visits by type 2 diabetes patients with cardiovascular disease in the USA: implications for implementing evidence-based use of glucose-lowering medications
Author(s) -
Felona Gunawan,
Michael E. Nassif,
Caitlin Partridge,
Tariq Ahmad,
Mikhail Kosiborod,
Silvio E. Inzucchi
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
cardiovascular endocrinology and metabolism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.498
H-Index - 8
ISSN - 2574-0954
DOI - 10.1097/xce.0000000000000195
Subject(s) - medicine , type 2 diabetes , disease , diabetes mellitus , cardiovascular health , outpatient clinic , intensive care medicine , cardiology , emergency medicine , endocrinology
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients. Recent cardiovascular outcome trials demonstrated clear cardiovascular benefits of novel classes of glucose-lowering agents. We performed retrospective electronic health record review at two major healthcare systems in the USA to determine the relative frequencies of outpatient encounters (hence prescribing opportunities) that a patient with T2D and CVD had with a cardiologist vs. an endocrinologist over one-year period. Of 109 747 T2D patients, 42.6% had established CVD. The ratio of cardiology-to-endocrinology outpatient encounters was 2.0:1 for all T2D patients, and 4.1:1 for those with T2D and CVD. Because each outpatient encounter provides an opportunity to discuss glucose-lowering medications with cardiovascular benefits, the much greater frequency of cardiology encounters highlights the emerging potential for cardiovascular specialists to influence or even implement evidence-based glucose-lowering therapies, thereby improving cardiovascular outcomes in their T2D patients.