Hypoglycemic therapy in patients diagnosed to have diabetes at 30 years of age or older.

Treatment patterns were investigated for a population of diabetic persons diagnosed at 30 years of age or older who received primary medical care in an eleven county area in southern Wisconsin. Of the 6074 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for diabetes, 51% received their primary care from internists, 35% from general practitioners, and 14% from family practitioners. Insulin usage was more frequent in patients with a longer duration of diabetes, younger age at diagnosis and poor recent glucose control. Prescription of oral medications increased with increasing current age and age at diagnosis. A greater proportion of the patients of internists than those of general practitioners were treated with insulin. Oral hypoglycemic agents were prescribed more frequently for patients of general practitioners than for patients of internists. These differences remained after controlling for duration, age at diagnosis, and status of recent glucose control. Therefore, practitioner type is associated with treatment prescribed for diabetic patients diagnosed after 30 years of age.