Table 1

Characteristics of included patients (n=4819)

Included patients
Calendar year
2007328
2008423
2009564
2010591
2011811
2012735
2013718
2014649
Females; N (%)2259 (47)
Age in years; N (%)
<601620 (34)
60–691585 (33)
70–791068 (22)
≥80546 (11)
Frailty in electronic Frailty Index score; N (%) 
Less frail: 0–0.032070 (43)
Medium frail: 0.06–0.091628 (34)
More frail: 0.11–0.401121 (23)
Systolic BP at initiation in mm Hg; mean±SD155±22
Diastolic BP at initiation in mm Hg; mean±SD85±12
Diabetes duration <2 years; N (%)1259 (26)
HbA1c<7%; N (%)*2717 (61)
BMI in kg/m2; N (%)† 
<24.9751 (17)
25–29.91788 (41)
≥301853 (42)
Dyslipidaemia; N (%)‡2263 (57)
eGFR ≤60 mL/min/1.73m2; N (%)§542 (13)
Elevated albuminuria (%)¶101 (4)
History of cardiovascular disease; N (%)
Myocardial disease**263 (5)
Heart failure††90 (2)
Stroke‡‡212 (4)
Number of chronic medication at initiation; mean±SD3.6±2.5
Glucose lowering medication at initiation; N (%) 
No medication1269 (26)
1 oral1937 (40)
2 oral982 (21)
3 oral or more and/or insulin631 (13)
Treated with a lipid lowering drug; N (%)2749 (57)
Initiated drug class; N (%) 
Renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitor2645 (55)
Diuretic762 (16)
Beta blocker689 (14)
Calcium channel blocker240 (5)
Combination of antihypertensives474 (10)

  • *Haemoglobin A1C (HbA1c): 352 (7.3 %) missing values.

  • †Body mass index (BMI): 427 (8.9 %) missing values.

  • ‡LDL cholesterol: 874 (18.1%) missing values.

  • §Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR): 677 (14.0 %) missing values.

  • ¶Albuminuria: 2274 (47.2%) missing values.

  • **Acute myocardial infarction (ICPC code K75) in the last year or other/chronic ischaemic heart disease (ICPC code K76) anytime in history.

  • ††Heart failure (ICPC code K77) anytime in history.

  • ‡‡Transient cerebral ischaemia (ICPC code K89) in the last year or stroke/cerebrovascular incident (ICPC code K90) anytime in history.

  • BP, blood pressure; ICPC, International Classification of Primary Care.