Research Article

Rapid Acting Insulin Use and Persistence among Elderly Type 2 Diabetes Patients Adding RAI to Oral Antidiabetes Drug Regimens

Table 5

Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals from logistic regressions of rapid acting insulin persistence during 12-month follow-up among elderly (≥65 years) Medicare beneficiaries with type 2 diabetes mellitus who added rapid acting insulin to their oral antidiabetic regimen. Humana Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan database 2007–2012.

Persistence Measure 1Persistence Measure 2
AOR95% CI valueAOR95% CI value

Number of OADs
 1 OAD0.52[0.38, 0.71]<0.0010.63[0.48, 0.81]<0.001
 2 OADs0.69[0.51, 0.93]<0.050.75[0.58, 0.98]<0.05
 ≥3 OADs

Demographic characteristics

Gender
 Female0.97[0.77, 1.21]1.13[0.95, 1.36]
 Male
Race
 White
 African American0.93[0.67, 1.30]0.98[0.75, 1.29]
 Others1.19[0.71, 1.99]0.78[0.49, 1.23]
 Missing0.96[0.51, 1.79]0.94[0.55, 1.60]
Age in years
 65–69 years
 70–74 years0.91[0.70, 1.20]1.01[0.81, 1.26]
 75–79 years0.94[0.69, 1.29]0.96[0.74, 1.25]
 80+ years1.02[0.73, 1.44]1.20[0.90, 1.59]
Region
 Midwest1.14[0.79, 1.66]1.00[0.74, 1.36]
 South0.91[0.63, 1.31]0.70[0.52, 0.94]<0.05
 Northeast/west/others

Health insurance characteristics

Type of plan
 PFFS
 HMO0.80[0.60, 1.06]0.88[0.70, 1.11]
 PPO/others0.88[0.67, 1.16]0.88[0.70, 1.11]

Baseline clinical characteristics

Any hypoglycemia
 Yes0.93[0.65, 1.31]0.99[0.75, 1.32]
 No
aDCSI score
 01.10[0.79, 1.55]1.08[0.82, 1.43]
 1-21.20[0.89, 1.60]1.19[0.94, 1.52]
 3-40.80[0.56, 1.14]0.98[0.74, 1.30]
 5–13
A1C
 <8%
 8-9%0.85[0.50, 1.45]0.84[0.55, 1.27]
 >9%1.02[0.65, 1.60]1.07[0.75, 1.53]
 Not available1.08[0.77, 1.49]0.98[0.76, 1.28]

Baseline healthcare utilization

Any inpatient visit
 Yes1.03[0.76, 1.41]0.89[0.69, 1.14]
 No
Any ER visit
 Yes1.12[0.84, 1.49]1.00[0.79, 1.26]
 No

Special conditions for the elderly

Polypharmacy
 Yes (>14)0.71[0.51, 1.01]0.73[0.55, 0.96]<0.05
 No (≤14)
Cognitive impairment
 Yes 1.41[1.05, 1.89]<0.051.50[1.16, 1.92]<0.01
 No
Depression
 Yes0.99[0.74, 1.34]0.84[0.65, 1.08]
 No
Fall
 Yes1.01[0.65, 1.57]1.15[0.79, 1.68]
 No
Urinary incontinence
 Yes1.12[0.69, 1.81]0.98[0.64, 1.48]
 No

One-year follow-up basal insulin use

Basal insulin
 Yes1.32[1.05, 1.66]<0.051.33[1.10, 1.60]<0.01
 No

One-year follow-up RAI out-of-pocket cost per RAI prescription

Average OOP cost per RAI prescription
0.0–<6.3
6.3–<360.48[0.35, 0.66]<0.0010.50[0.38, 0.65]<0.001
36–<560.44[0.32, 0.61]<0.0010.42[0.32, 0.56]<0.001
 ≥560.41[0.30, 0.55]<0.0010.54[0.42, 0.70]<0.001

Note: based on 2,334 elderly Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and above with type 2 diabetes mellitus, who were continuously enrolled in the Humana Medicare prescription drug plans for 18 months between 2007 and 2011 and added rapid acting insulin to their oral antidiabetic drugs regimen.
A1C: glycated hemoglobin; aDCSI: adapted-Diabetes Complications Severity Index; AOR: adjusted odds ratio; CI: confidence interval; ER: emergency room; HMO: health maintenance organization; OAD: oral antidiabetic drug; PFFS: private fee-for-service; PPO: preferred provider organization; RAI: rapid acting insulin.