Objective: Little is known about the health outcomes or the quality of care among Arab American patients with diabetes. The objective of this study is to examine the use of glucose-lowering agents and aspirin therapy in this population compared to the drug utilization patterns reported in nationally representative surveys.
Research design and methods: A random sample of adult Arab American patients with self-reported diabetes was selected. Complete medication histories were recorded during a face-to-face interview. Medication utilization of the glucose-lowering agents and aspirin were compared to data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).
Results: The study sample consisted of 53 participants (20 males, 33 females) with mean age +/- SD of 59.4 +/- 12 years and A1C levels of 8.0 +/- 2%. Compared to US adults, Arab American patients with diabetes were less likely to be treated with insulin (27% vs 17%) and more likely to receive oral hypoglycemic agents (65% vs 81%). Similar proportions of participants were maintained on insulin-oral hypoglycemic-combined therapy (10% US adults vs 9% Arab Americans). Aspirin use was significantly lower among the study participants (23%) compared to the reported national prevalence of aspirin intake (64%).
Conclusion: The therapeutic management of diabetes in the Arab-American patients with diabetes is suboptimal. The use of insulin and aspirin was lower than that reported by participants in the NHANES and BRFSS national databases. More aggressive approaches for the management of hyperglycemia and the prevention of cardiovascular diseases are needed to improve health outcomes in the Arab-American community.