Management of diabetic patients by general practitioners in France 1997: an epidemiological study

To describe the characteristics of diabetic patients, the associated risk factors, the complications of the disease and its management by general practitioners (GPs) in France, a randomised sample of French GPs was asked to record data on all consecutive diabetic patients attending a regular visit within 3 months. Data were obtained by interview, clinical examination and usual follow-up complementary examinations of the patients. Patients were classified into 3 groups:, patients treated with insulin and considered to have type 1 diabetes, [2i], insulin-treated patients expected to have type 2 diabetes, [2d], patients with type 2 diabetes and not treated with insulin. Data from 7540 diabetic out-patients were recorded by 3084 GPs: 657 patients (8.7%) belonged to group 1, 1383 patients (18.3%) to group 2i and 5351 (71.0%) to group 2d. Patients, including 53.7%, [2i] 54.1%, and [2d] 56.5% of men, were (mean +/- SE) 58.8 +/- 0.7, [2i] 63.4 +/- 0.3, and [2d] 63.9 +/- 0.2 years old, respectively. Duration of diabetes was 15.9 +/- 0.4, [2i] 11.4 +/- 0.2, and [2d] 10.1 +/- 0.1 yr. The last fasting blood glucose level (laboratory assay) was 1.61 +/- 0.02, [2i] 1.68 +/- 0.01, and [2d] 1.61 +/- 0.01 g/L, and the last HbA1c 8.5 +/- 0.1, [2i] 8.1 +/- 0.1, and [2d] 7.8 +/- 0.1%, respectively. Tobacco smoking was observed in 19.2%, [2i] 13.1%, and [2d] 12.6% of the patients, hypertension in 39.6%, [2i] 55.9%, and [2d] 58.6%, micro- or macro-albuminuria in 18.6%, [2i] 11. 2%, and [2d] 9.5%, retinopathy in 31.1%, [2i] 12.9%, and [2d] 8.6%, and history of coronary artery disease in 16.3%, [2i] 15.0%, and [2d] 12.8%. Self-monitoring of blood glucose was performed by 93.2%, [2i] 37.9%, and [2d] 16.9% of the patients. During the previous 12 months, a visit had been performed with a diabetologist in 54.0%, [2i] 20.7%, and [2d] 12.9% of the patients, with an ophthalmologist in 62.9%, [2i] 51.5%, and [2d] 49.4%. These results underline the specific characteristics of French diabetic patients. A high prevalence of uncontrolled risk factors, mainly hypertension, contrasts with a relatively low frequency of micro- and macro-angiopathy, maybe underestimated by non-systematic routine follow-up. Closer collaboration between GPs and specialists should be developed to improve the management and care of diabetic patients in France.