| 1. |
- Bhavadharini, B., et al.
(författare)
-
Association of dairy consumption with metabolic syndrome, hypertension and diabetes in 147 812 individuals from 21 countries
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Bmj Open Diabetes Research & Care. - : BMJ. - 2052-4897. ; 8:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective Our aims were to assess the association of dairy intake with prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) (cross-sectionally) and with incident hypertension and incident diabetes (prospectively) in a large multinational cohort study. Methods The Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study is a prospective epidemiological study of individuals aged 35 and 70 years from 21 countries on five continents, with a median follow-up of 9.1 years. In thecross-sectional analyses, we assessed the association of dairy intake with prevalent MetS and its components among individuals with information on the five MetS components (n=112 922). Forthe prospective analyses, we examined the association of dairy with incident hypertension (in 57 547 individuals free of hypertension) and diabetes (in 131 481 individuals free of diabetes). Results In cross-sectional analysis, higher intake of total dairy (at least two servings/day compared with zero intake; OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.71 to 0.80, p-trend<0.0001) was associated with a lower prevalence of MetS after multivariable adjustment. Higher intakes of whole fat dairy consumed alone (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.78, p-trend<0.0001), or consumed jointly with low fat dairy (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.80 to 0.98, p-trend=0.0005), were associated with a lower MetS prevalence. Low fat dairy consumed alone was not associated with MetS (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.38, p-trend=0.13). In prospective analysis, 13 640 people with incident hypertension and 5351 people with incident diabetes were recorded. Higher intake of total dairy (at least two servings/day vs zero serving/day) was associated with a lower incidence of hypertension (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.97, p-trend=0.02) and diabetes (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.02, p-trend=0.01). Directionally similar associations were found for whole fat dairy versus each outcome. Conclusions Higher intake of whole fat (but not low fat) dairy was associated with alower prevalenceof MetS and most of its component factors, and with alower incidenceof hypertension and diabetes. Our findings should be evaluated in large randomized trials of the effects of whole fat dairy on the risks of MetS, hypertension, and diabetes.
|
|
| 2. |
- Dehghan, M., et al.
(författare)
-
Association of dairy intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 21 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Lancet. - : Elsevier BV. - 0140-6736. ; 392:10161, s. 2288-2297
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Dietary guidelines recommend minimising consumption of whole-fat dairy products, as they are a source of saturated fats and presumed to adversely affect blood lipids and increase cardiovascular disease and mortality. Evidence for this contention is sparse and few data for the effects of dairy consumption on health are available from low-income and middle-income countries. Therefore, we aimed to assess the associations between total dairy and specific types of dairy products with mortality and major cardiovascular disease. Methods The Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study is a large multinational cohort study of individuals aged 35-70 years enrolled from 21 countries in five continents. Dietary intakes of dairy products for 136 384 individuals were recorded using country-specific validated food frequency questionnaires. Dairy products comprised milk, yoghurt, and cheese. We further grouped these foods into whole-fat and low-fat dairy. The primary outcome was the composite of mortality or major cardiovascular events (defined as death from cardiovascular causes, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, or heart failure). Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using multivariable Cox frailty models with random intercepts to account for clustering of participants by centre. Findings Between Jan 1, 2003, and July 14, 2018, we recorded 10 567 composite events (deaths [n=6796] or major cardiovascular events [n=5855]) during the 9.1 years of follow-up. Higher intake of total dairy (>2 servings per day compared with no intake) was associated with a lower risk of the composite outcome (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.75-0.94; p(trend) 0.0004), total mortality (0.83, 0.72-0.96; p(trend) 0.0052), non-cardiovascular mortality (0.86, 0.72-1.02; p(trend)=0.046), cardiovascular mortality (0.77, 0.58-1.01; p(trend)=0.029), major cardiovascular disease (0.78, 0.67-0.90; p(trend)=0.0001), and stroke (0.66, 0.53-0.82; p(trend)=0.0003). No significant association with myocardial infarction was observed (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.71-1.11;p(trend)=0.163). Higher intake (>1 serving vs no intake) of milk (HR 0.90, 95% CI 0.82-0.99; p(trend)=0.0529) and yogurt (0.86, 0.75-0.99; p(trend)=0.0051) was associated with lower risk of the composite outcome, whereas cheese intake was not significantly associated with the composite outcome (0.88, 0.76-1.02; p(trend)=0.1399). Butter intake was low and was not significantly associated with clinical outcomes (HR 1.09, 95% CI 0.90-1.33; p(trend)=0.4113). Interpretation Dairy consumption was associated with lower risk of mortality and major cardiovascular disease events in a diverse multinational cohort. Copyright (c) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
|
|
| 3. |
- Mente, A., et al.
(författare)
-
Urinary sodium excretion, blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and mortality: a community-level prospective epidemiological cohort study
- 2018
-
Ingår i: The Lancet. - : Elsevier BV. - 0140-6736. ; 392:10146, s. 496-506
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background WHO recommends that populations consume less than 2 g/day sodium as a preventive measure against cardiovascular disease, but this target has not been achieved in any country. This recommendation is primarily based on individual-level data from short-term trials of blood pressure (BP) without data relating low sodium intake to reduced cardiovascular events from randomised trials or observational studies. We investigated the associations between community-level mean sodium and potassium intake, cardiovascular disease, and mortality. Methods The Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology study is ongoing in 21 countries. Here we report an analysis done in 18 countries with data on clinical outcomes. Eligible participants were adults aged 35-70 years without cardiovascular disease, sampled from the general population. We used morning fasting urine to estimate 24 h sodium and potassium excretion as a surrogate for intake. We assessed community-level associations between sodium and potassium intake and BP in 369 communities (all >50 participants) and cardiovascular disease and mortality in 255 communities (all >100 participants), and used individual-level data to adjust for known confounders. Findings 95 767 participants in 369 communities were assessed for BP and 82 544 in 255 communities for cardiovascular outcomes with follow-up for a median of 8.1 years. 82 (80%) of 103 communities in China had a mean sodium intake greater than 5 g/day, whereas in other countries 224 (84%) of 266 communities had a mean intake of 3-5 g/day. Overall, mean systolic BP increased by 2.86 mm Hg per 1 g increase in mean sodium intake, but positive associations were only seen among the communities in the highest tertile of sodium intake (p<0.0001 for heterogeneity). The association between mean sodium intake and major cardiovascular events showed significant deviations from linearity (p=0.043) due to a significant inverse association in the lowest tertile of sodium intake (lowest tertile <4.43 g/day, mean intake 4.04 g/day, range 3.42-4.43; change -1.00 events per 1000 years, 95% CI -2.00 to -0.01, p=0.0497), no association in the middle tertile (middle tertile 4.43-5.08 g/day, mean intake 4.70 g/day, 4.44-5.05; change 0.24 events per 1000 years, -2.12 to 2.61, p=0.8391), and a positive but non-significant association in the highest tertile (highest tertile >5.08 g/day, mean intake 5.75 g/day, >5.08-7.49; change 0.37 events per 1000 years, -0.03 to 0.78, p=0.0712). A strong association was seen with stroke in China (mean sodium intake 5.58 g/day, 0.42 events per 1000 years, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.67, p=0.0020) compared with in other countries (4.49 g/day, -0.26 events, -0.46 to -0.06, p=0.0124; p<0.0001 for heterogeneity). All major cardiovascular outcomes decreased with increasing potassium intake in all countries. Interpretation Sodium intake was associated with cardiovascular disease and strokes only in communities where mean intake was greater than 5 g/day. A strategy of sodium reduction in these communities and countries but not in others might be appropriate. Funding Population Health Research Institute, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian Institutes of Health Canada Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario, and European Research Council. Copyright (c) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
|
|
| 4. |
- Sathish, T., et al.
(författare)
-
Variations in risks from smoking between high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: an analysis of data from 179000 participants from 63 countries
- 2022
-
Ingår i: The Lancet Global Health. - 2214-109X. ; 10:2
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Separate studies suggest that the risks from smoking might vary between high-income (HICs), middle-income (MICs), and low-income (LICs) countries, but this has not yet been systematically examined within a single study using standardised approaches. We examined the variations in risks from smoking across different country income groups and some of their potential reasons. Methods: We analysed data from 134 909 participants from 21 countries followed up for a median of 11·3 years in the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) cohort study; 9711 participants with myocardial infarction and 11 362 controls from 52 countries in the INTERHEART case-control study; and 11 580 participants with stroke and 11 331 controls from 32 countries in the INTERSTROKE case-control study. In PURE, all-cause mortality, major cardiovascular disease, cancers, respiratory diseases, and their composite were the primary outcomes for this analysis. Biochemical verification of urinary total nicotine equivalent was done in a substudy of 1000 participants in PURE. Findings: In PURE, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for the composite outcome in current smokers (vs never smokers) was higher in HICs (HR 1·87, 95% CI 1·65–2·12) than in MICs (1·41, 1·34–1·49) and LICs (1·35, 1·25–1·46; interaction p<0·0001). Similar patterns were observed for each component of the composite outcome in PURE, myocardial infarction in INTERHEART, and stroke in INTERSTROKE. The median levels of tar, nicotine, and carbon monoxide displayed on the cigarette packs from PURE HICs were higher than those on the packs from MICs. In PURE, the proportion of never smokers reporting high second-hand smoke exposure (≥1 times/day) was 6·3% in HICs, 23·2% in MICs, and 14·0% in LICs. The adjusted geometric mean total nicotine equivalent was higher among current smokers in HICs (47·2 μM) than in MICs (31·1 μM) and LICs (25·2 μM; ANCOVA p<0·0001). By contrast, it was higher among never smokers in LICs (18·8 μM) and MICs (11·3 μM) than in HICs (5·0 μM; ANCOVA p=0·0001). Interpretation: The variations in risks from smoking between country income groups are probably related to the higher exposure of tobacco-derived toxicants among smokers in HICs and higher rates of high second-hand smoke exposure among never smokers in MICs and LICs. Funding: Full funding sources are listed at the end of the paper (see Acknowledgments). © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license
|
|
| 5. |
- Walli-Attaei, M., et al.
(författare)
-
Variations between women and men in risk factors, treatments, cardiovascular disease incidence, and death in 27 high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries (PURE): a prospective cohort study
- 2020
-
Ingår i: The Lancet. - : Elsevier BV. - 0140-6736. ; 396:10244, s. 97-109
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Some studies, mainly from high-income countries (HICs), report that women receive less care (investigations and treatments) for cardiovascular disease than do men and might have a higher risk of death. However, very few studies systematically report risk factors, use of primary or secondary prevention medications, incidence of cardiovascular disease, or death in populations drawn from the community. Given that most cardiovascular disease occurs in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), there is a need for comprehensive information comparing treatments and outcomes between women and men in HICs, middle-income countries, and low-income countries from community-based population studies. Methods In the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiological study (PURE), individuals aged 35-70 years from urban and rural communities in 27 countries were considered for inclusion. We recorded information on participants' sociodemographic characteristics, risk factors, medication use, cardiac investigations, and interventions. 168 490 participants who enrolled in the first two of the three phases of PURE were followed up prospectively for incident cardiovascular disease and death. Findings From Jan 6, 2005 to May 6, 2019, 202 072 individuals were recruited to the study. The mean age of women included in the study was 50.8 (SD 9.9) years compared with 51.7 (10) years for men. Participants were followed up for a median of 9.5 (IQR 8.5-10.9) years. Women had a lower cardiovascular disease risk factor burden using two different risk scores (INTERHEART and Framingham). Primary prevention strategies, such as adoption of several healthy lifestyle behaviours and use of proven medicines, were more frequent in women than men. Incidence of cardiovascular disease (4.1 [95% CI 4.0-4.2] for women vs 6.4 [6.2-6.6] for men per 1000 person-years; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.75 [95% CI 0.72-0.79]) and all-cause death (4.5 [95% CI 4.4-4.7] for women vs 7.4 [7.2-7.7] for men per 1000 person-years; aHR 0.62 [95% CI 0.60-0.65]) were also lower in women. By contrast, secondary prevention treatments, cardiac investigations, and coronary revascularisation were less frequent in women than men with coronary artery disease in all groups of countries. Despite this, women had lower risk of recurrent cardiovascular disease events (20.0 [95% CI 18.2-21.7] versus 27.7 [95% CI 25.6-29.8] per 1000 person-years in men, adjusted hazard ratio 0.73 [95% CI 0.64-0.83]) and women had lower 30-day mortality after a new cardiovascular disease event compared with men (22% in women versus 28% in men; p<0.0001). Differences between women and men in treatments and outcomes were more marked in LMICs with little differences in HICs in those with or without previous cardiovascular disease. Interpretation Treatments for cardiovascular disease are more common in women than men in primary prevention, but the reverse is seen in secondary prevention. However, consistently better outcomes are observed in women than in men, both in those with and without previous cardiovascular disease. Improving cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment, especially in LMICs, should be vigorously pursued in both women and men. Copyright (c) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All righst reserved.
|
|
| 6. |
- Bhavadharini, B., et al.
(författare)
-
White Rice Intake and Incident Diabetes: A Study of 132,373 Participants in 21 Countries
- 2020
-
Ingår i: Diabetes care. - : American Diabetes Association. - 0149-5992 .- 1935-5548. ; 43:11, s. 2643-2650
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE Previous prospective studies on the association of white rice intake with incident diabetes have shown contradictory results but were conducted in single countries and predominantly in Asia. We report on the association of white rice with risk of diabetes in the multinational Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Data on 132,373 individuals aged 35-70 years from 21 countries were analyzed. White rice consumption (cooked) was categorized as <150, >= 150 to <300, >= 300 to <450, and >= 450 g/day, based on one cup of cooked rice = 150 g. The primary outcome was incident diabetes. Hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated using a multivariable Cox frailty model. RESULTS During a mean follow-up period of 9.5 years, 6,129 individuals without baseline diabetes developed incident diabetes. In the overall cohort, higher intake of white rice (>= 450 g/day compared with <150 g/day) was associated with increased risk of diabetes (HR 1.20; 95% CI 1.02-1.40;Pfor trend = 0.003). However, the highest risk was seen in South Asia (HR 1.61; 95% CI 1.13-2.30;Pfor trend = 0.02), followed by other regions of the world (which included South East Asia, Middle East, South America, North America, Europe, and Africa) (HR 1.41; 95% CI 1.08-1.86;Pfor trend = 0.01), while in China there was no significant association (HR 1.04; 95% CI 0.77-1.40;Pfor trend = 0.38). CONCLUSIONS Higher consumption of white rice is associated with an increased risk of incident diabetes with the strongest association being observed in South Asia, while in other regions, a modest, nonsignificant association was seen.
|
|
| 7. |
- Leong, D. P., et al.
(författare)
-
Medications for blood pressure, blood glucose, lipids, and anti-thrombotic medications: relationship with cardiovascular disease and death in adults from 21 high-, middle-, and low-income countries with an elevated body mass index
- 2022
-
Ingår i: European journal of preventive cardiology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 2047-4873 .- 2047-4881. ; 29:14, s. 1817-1826
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims Elevated body mass index (BMI) is an important cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The population-level impact of pharmacologic strategies to mitigate the risk of CVD conferred by the metabolic consequences of an elevated BMI is not well described. Methods and results We conducted an analysis of 145 986 participants (mean age 50 years, 58% women) from 21 high-, middle-, and low-income countries in the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology study who had no history of cancer, ischaemic heart disease, heart failure, or stroke. We evaluated whether the hazards of CVD (myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, or cardiovascular death) differed among those taking a cardiovascular medication (n = 29 174; including blood pressure-lowering, blood glucose-lowering, cholesterol-lowering, or anti-thrombotic medications) vs. those not taking a cardiovascular medication (n = 116 812) during 10.2 years of follow-up. Cox proportional hazard models with the community as a shared frailty were constructed by adjusting age, sex, education, geographic region, physical activity, tobacco, and alcohol use. We observed 7928 (5.4%) CVD events and 9863 (6.8%) deaths. Cardiovascular medication use was associated with different hazards of CVD (interaction P < 0.0001) and death (interaction P = 0.0020) as compared with no cardiovascular medication use. Among those not taking a cardiovascular medication, as compared with those with BMI 20 to <25 kg/m(2), the hazard ratio (HR) [95% confidence interval (95% CI)] for CVD were, respectively, 1.14 (1.06-1.23); 1.45 (1.30-1.61); and 1.53 (1.28-1.82) among those with BMI 25 to <30 kg/m(2); 30 to <35 kg/m(2); and >= 35 kg/m(2). However, among those taking a cardiovascular medication, the HR (95% CI) for CVD were, respectively, 0.79 (0.72-0.87); 0.90 (0.79-1.01); and 1.14 (0.98-1.33). Among those not taking a cardiovascular medication, the respective HR (95% CI) for death were 0.93 (0.87-1.00); 1.03 (0.93-1.15); and 1.44 (1.24-1.67) among those with BMI 25 to <30 kg/m(2); 30 to <35 kg/m(2); and >= 35 kg/m(2). However, among those taking a cardiovascular medication, the respective HR (95% CI) for death were 0.77 (0.69-0.84); 0.88 (0.78-0.99); and 1.12 (0.96-1.30). Blood pressure-lowering medications accounted for the largest population attributable benefit of cardiovascular medications. Conclusion To the extent that CVD risk among those with an elevated BMI is related to hypertension, diabetes, and an elevated thrombotic milieu, targeting these pathways pharmacologically may represent an important complementary means of reducing the CVD burden caused by an elevated BMI.
|
|
| 8. |
- Mente, A., et al.
(författare)
-
Diet, cardiovascular disease, and mortality in 80 countries
- 2023
-
Ingår i: European Heart Journal. - 0195-668X. ; 44:28, s. 2560-2579
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims To develop a healthy diet score that is associated with health outcomes and is globally applicable using data from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study and replicate it in five independent studies on a total of 245 000 people from 80 countries. Methods and results A healthy diet score was developed in 147 642 people from the general population, from 21 countries in the PURE study, and the consistency of the associations of the score with events was examined in five large independent studies from 70 countries. The healthy diet score was developed based on six foods each of which has been associated with a significantly lower risk of mortality [i.e. fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish, and dairy (mainly whole-fat); range of scores, 0-6]. The main outcome measures were all-cause mortality and major cardiovascular events [cardiovascular disease (CVD)]. During a median follow-up of 9.3 years in PURE, compared with a diet score of & LE;1 points, a diet score of & GE;5 points was associated with a lower risk of mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 0.70; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.63-0.77)], CVD (HR 0.82; 0.75-0.91), myocardial infarction (HR 0.86; 0.75-0.99), and stroke (HR 0.81; 0.71-0.93). In three independent studies in vascular patients, similar results were found, with a higher diet score being associated with lower mortality (HR 0.73; 0.66-0.81), CVD (HR 0.79; 0.72-0.87), myocardial infarction (HR 0.85; 0.71-0.99), and a non-statistically significant lower risk of stroke (HR 0.87; 0.73-1.03). Additionally, in two case-control studies, a higher diet score was associated with lower first myocardial infarction [odds ratio (OR) 0.72; 0.65-0.80] and stroke (OR 0.57; 0.50-0.65). A higher diet score was associated with a significantly lower risk of death or CVD in regions with lower than with higher gross national incomes (P for heterogeneity <0.0001). The PURE score showed slightly stronger associations with death or CVD than several other common diet scores (P < 0.001 for each comparison). Conclusion A diet comprised of higher amounts of fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish, and whole-fat dairy is associated with lower CVD and mortality in all world regions, especially in countries with lower income where consumption of these foods is low.
|
|
| 9. |
- Narula, N., et al.
(författare)
-
Association of ultra-processed food intake with risk of inflammatory bowel disease: prospective cohort study
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Bmj-British Medical Journal. - : BMJ. - 1756-1833. ; 374
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relation between intake of ultra processed food and risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING 21 low, middle, and high income countries across seven geographical regions (Europe and North America, South America, Africa, Middle East, south Asia, South East Asia, and China). PARTICIPANTS 116 087 adults aged 35-70 years with at least one cycle of follow-up and complete baseline food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) data (country specific validated FFQs were used to document baseline dietary intake). Participants were followed prospectively at least every three years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The main outcome was development of IBD, including Crohn & rsquo;s disease or ulcerative colitis. Associations between ultra-processed food intake and risk of IBD were assessed using Cox proportional hazard multivariable models. Results are presented as hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS Participants were enrolled in the study between 2003 and 2016. During the median follow-up of 9.7 years (interquartile range 8.9-11.2 years), 467 participants developed incident IBD (90 with Crohn & rsquo;s disease and 377 with ulcerative colitis). After adjustment for potential confounding factors, higher intake of ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of incident IBD (hazard ratio 1.82, 95% confidence interval 1.22 to 2.72 for >= 5 servings/day and 1.67, 1.18 to 2.37 for 1-4 servings/day compared with <1 serving/day, P=0.006 for trend). Different subgroups of ultra-processed food, including soft drinks, refined sweetened foods, salty snacks, and processed meat, each were associated with higher hazard ratios for IBD. Results were consistent for Crohn & rsquo;s disease and ulcerative colitis with low heterogeneity. Intakes of white meat, red meat, dairy, starch, and fruit, vegetables, and legumes were not associated with incident IBD. CONCLUSIONS Higher intake of ultra-processed food was positively associated with risk of IBD. Further studies are needed to identify the contributory factors within ultra processed foods.
|
|
| 10. |
- Chow, C. K., et al.
(författare)
-
Availability and affordability of essential medicines for diabetes across high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective epidemiological study
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. - : Elsevier BV. - 2213-8587. ; 6:10, s. 798-808
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Data are scarce on the availability and affordability of essential medicines for diabetes. Our aim was to examine the availability and affordability of metformin, sulfonylureas, and insulin across multiple regions of the world and explore the effect of these on medicine use. Methods In the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study, participants aged 35-70 years (n=156 625) were recruited from 110 803 households, in 604 communities and 22 countries; availability (presence of any dose of medication in the pharmacy on the day of audit) and medicine cost data were collected from pharmacies with the Environmental Profile of a Community's Health audit tool. Our primary analysis was to describe the availability and affordability of metformin and insulin and also commonly used and prescribed combinations of two medicines for diabetes management (two oral drugs, metformin plus a sulphonylurea [either glibenclamide (also known as glyburide) or gliclazide] and one oral drug plus insulin [metformin plus insulin]). Medicines were defined as affordable if the cost of medicines was less than 20% of capacity-to-pay (the household income minus food expenditure). Our analyses included data collected in pharmacies and data from representative samples of households. Data on availability were ascertained during the pharmacy audit, as were data on cost of medications. These cost data were used to estimate the cost of a month's supply of essential medicines for diabetes. We estimated affordability of medicines using income data from household surveys. Findings Metformin was available in 113 (100%) of 113 pharmacies from high-income countries, 112 (88.2%) of 127 pharmacies in upper-middle-income countries, 179 (86.1%) of 208 pharmacies in lower-middle-income countries, 44 (64.7%) of 68 pharmacies in low-income countries (excluding India), and 88 (100%) of 88 pharmacies in India. Insulin was available in 106 (93.8%) pharmacies in high-income countries, 51 (40.2%) pharmacies in upper-middle-income countries, 61 (29.3%) pharmacies in lower-middle-income countries, seven (10.3%) pharmacies in lower-income countries, and 67 (76.1%) of 88 pharmacies in India. We estimated 0.7% of households in high-income countries and 26.9% of households in low-income countries could not afford metformin and 2.8% of households in high-income countries and 63.0% of households in low-income countries could not afford insulin. Among the 13 569 (8.6% of PURE participants) that reported a diagnosis of diabetes, 1222 (74.0%) participants reported diabetes medicine use in high-income countries compared with 143 (29.6%) participants in low-income countries. In multilevel models, availability and affordability were significantly associated with use of diabetes medicines. Interpretation Availability and affordability of essential diabetes medicines are poor in low-income and middle-income countries. Awareness of these global differences might importantly drive change in access for patients with diabetes.
|
|
