Educational inequalities in clinical presentation and pharmacological treatment of early type 2 diabetes : A Danish prevalence study
(2025) In Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice 225.- Abstract
Aims: To examine how educational attainment impacts clinical presentation and pharmacological treatment at type 2 diabetes (T2D) diagnosis. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 10,020 individuals with recently diagnosed T2D enrolled in the Danish prospective DD2 cohort. Sex- and age-adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) for detailed clinical characteristics and pharmacotherapy were computed. Results: In total, 31 % had low, 50 % had moderate, and 19 % had high educational level. Individuals with low rather than high educational level were more often obese (58 % vs 49 %, aPR 1.20 [95 % CI 1.14–1.28]); had less healthy lifestyles (current smokers: 22 % vs 15 %, aPR 1.53 [1.32–1.76]); sedentary activity level: 21 % vs 15 %, aPR 1.36... (More)
Aims: To examine how educational attainment impacts clinical presentation and pharmacological treatment at type 2 diabetes (T2D) diagnosis. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 10,020 individuals with recently diagnosed T2D enrolled in the Danish prospective DD2 cohort. Sex- and age-adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) for detailed clinical characteristics and pharmacotherapy were computed. Results: In total, 31 % had low, 50 % had moderate, and 19 % had high educational level. Individuals with low rather than high educational level were more often obese (58 % vs 49 %, aPR 1.20 [95 % CI 1.14–1.28]); had less healthy lifestyles (current smokers: 22 % vs 15 %, aPR 1.53 [1.32–1.76]); sedentary activity level: 21 % vs 15 %, aPR 1.36 [1.20–1.55]); and had more often cardiovascular (23 % vs. 17 %, PR 1.30 [1.16–1.46]) and microvascular complications (16 % vs 13 %, aPR 1.18 [1.02–1.35]). Low education associated with higher triglycerides, more insulin resistance, and poorer kidney function, whereas HbA1c, blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol were identical. The use of medications with cardiovascular benefits and newer organ-protective diabetes medications was similar to, or higher than, that in individuals with high education. Conclusions: Awareness of the impact of social and educational determinants on T2D presentation at diagnosis is essential to improve treatment and prognosis.
(Less)
- author
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-07
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Clinical characteristics, Educational level, Pharmacological treatment, Socioeconomic disparities, Type 2 diabetes
- in
- Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice
- volume
- 225
- article number
- 112231
- publisher
- Elsevier
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105005211078
- pmid:40381656
- ISSN
- 0168-8227
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.diabres.2025.112231
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- a978d76e-6a80-4abf-b84d-92374e3bd274
- date added to LUP
- 2025-07-18 10:47:59
- date last changed
- 2025-07-18 10:48:42
@article{a978d76e-6a80-4abf-b84d-92374e3bd274,
abstract = {{<p>Aims: To examine how educational attainment impacts clinical presentation and pharmacological treatment at type 2 diabetes (T2D) diagnosis. Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of 10,020 individuals with recently diagnosed T2D enrolled in the Danish prospective DD2 cohort. Sex- and age-adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) for detailed clinical characteristics and pharmacotherapy were computed. Results: In total, 31 % had low, 50 % had moderate, and 19 % had high educational level. Individuals with low rather than high educational level were more often obese (58 % vs 49 %, aPR 1.20 [95 % CI 1.14–1.28]); had less healthy lifestyles (current smokers: 22 % vs 15 %, aPR 1.53 [1.32–1.76]); sedentary activity level: 21 % vs 15 %, aPR 1.36 [1.20–1.55]); and had more often cardiovascular (23 % vs. 17 %, PR 1.30 [1.16–1.46]) and microvascular complications (16 % vs 13 %, aPR 1.18 [1.02–1.35]). Low education associated with higher triglycerides, more insulin resistance, and poorer kidney function, whereas HbA1c, blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol were identical. The use of medications with cardiovascular benefits and newer organ-protective diabetes medications was similar to, or higher than, that in individuals with high education. Conclusions: Awareness of the impact of social and educational determinants on T2D presentation at diagnosis is essential to improve treatment and prognosis.</p>}},
author = {{Sørensen, Marie T. and Kristensen, Frederik P.B. and Nielsen, Jens S. and Christensen, Diana H. and Nicolaisen, Sia K. and Beck-Nielsen, Henning and Vestergaard, Peter and Jessen, Niels and Olsen, Michael H. and Hansen, Torben and Vaag, Allan and Sørensen, Henrik T. and Thomsen, Reimar W.}},
issn = {{0168-8227}},
keywords = {{Clinical characteristics; Educational level; Pharmacological treatment; Socioeconomic disparities; Type 2 diabetes}},
language = {{eng}},
publisher = {{Elsevier}},
series = {{Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice}},
title = {{Educational inequalities in clinical presentation and pharmacological treatment of early type 2 diabetes : A Danish prevalence study}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2025.112231}},
doi = {{10.1016/j.diabres.2025.112231}},
volume = {{225}},
year = {{2025}},
}