A retrospective nationwide cohort study to investigate
the treatment of diabetes in adults in Norway - DAPHNE

Background/Rationale:

The prevalence of diabetes has been increasing dramatically during the last 50 years, and although no exact number is available, it is estimated that there are approximately 350 000 patients living with diabetes in Norway. Data from the Norwegian prescription registry shows that 170,000 people used anti-diabetic drugs in 2014. A range of new therapeutic modalities have been introduced on the market in the recent years.

Research question and objectives:

The purpose is to explore treatment of diabetic patients in Norway, especially their use of gluocose lowering drugs and to elucidate the patient characteristics for treatment choices as well as the progression of the disease in terms of comorbidities, diabetic complications and drug treatments.

Study design:

Descriptive retrospective study using nationwide data from the Norwegian National Registers.

Study setting and population:

The study population consists of patients over the age of 18 years with a diabetes diagnosis or a prescription dispensed for use of any blood glucose-lowering drugs.

Data sources:

The source population will be identified from the Population Registry (PR) (Statistics Norway), the Norwegian Patient Registry (NPR) or a prescription dispensed of any blood glucose-lowering drugs from the Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD). Follow-up information will be requested from NPR, NorPD as well as the Norwegian Cause of Death Register (NCoDR) (2004-2014).

Exposure(s):

Glucose lowering treatments

Outcome(s):

Patient characteristics (age, gender), co-morbidities (e.g. CVD, GI, cancer), diabetic complications (e.g. nephropathy and neuropathy), mortality, drug utilisation patterns.

News from 2022:

We have received new and updated datafiles and are working on two manuscripts with focus on chronic kidney disease (CKD) and heart failure (HF). We are in a discussion to join a new international collaboration with these data.

Primary Investigator:

Co-investigators/participants:  

  • Kari-Anne Sveen

  • Trond G. Jenssen

External collaborators: 

  • Anna Norhammar, Cardiology Unit, Department of Medicine, Solna, Karolinska Institutet and Capio Saint Göran Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden

  • Jan W. Eriksson and Robin Kristofi Department of Medical Sciences, Clinical Diabetes and Metabolism, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

  • David Nathanson, Department of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

  • Thomas Nyström, Department of Clinical Science and Education, Södersjukhuset, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

  • Kamlesh Khunti University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK.

  • Mikhail Kosiborod Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, Kansas City, MO 64111, USA.

  • Marcus Thureson, Statisticon

  • Urban Olsson, Statisticon

  • Hilja Brorsson, Statisticon

  • Fabian Söderdahl, Statisticon

  • Anna Carlsund, Statisticon

  • Johan Bodegaard, Astra Zeneca

  • Susanna Jerström, Astra Zeneca