Assessing the severity of Type 2 diabetes using clinical data-based measures: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology and Metabolism
• Clinical Research Methodology
• Public Health

Background:

• Type 2 diabetes is a significant global health concern.
• Accurate assessment of diabetes severity is vital for effective patient management and resource allocation.
• Existing clinical data-based measures for grading diabetes severity require critical appraisal.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and critically evaluate measures utilizing clinical data for grading Type 2 diabetes severity.
• To assess the characteristics, clinical utility, and outcome associations of these severity measures.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, and PubMed up to June 2018.
• Included studies reported on clinical data-based diabetes-specific severity measures in adults with Type 2 diabetes.
• Eligible measures were assessed for design, severity domains, clinical utility, and relationship with health outcomes.

Main Results:

• 17 studies reported 18 distinct severity measures involving over 32,000 participants.
• Common measures included diabetes severity indices, categories, complication counts, and checklists, often incorporating complications and glycemic control.
• Higher diabetes severity correlated with increased healthcare costs, cognitive decline, hospitalization, and mortality risks.

Conclusions:

• Clinical data is suitable for assessing diabetes severity, but current measures show limited clinical adoption.
• Enhanced diabetes severity assessment is fundamental for identifying individuals needing targeted therapies.
• Standardized severity assessment can serve as a benchmark for efficient healthcare delivery and improved patient outcomes.