Trends in type 2 diabetes medication use and guideline adherence in Belgian primary care (2019–2023)

The prevalence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease among patients with type 2 diabetes in Belgium reached 27%, 6.7%, and 23.7% respectively by 2023.

• The population of patients with type 2 diabetes increased from 20,766 in 2019 to 21,764 in 2023.
• The prevalence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease rose from 25.2% to 27% during the study period.
• Heart failure prevalence increased from 4.9% to 6.7% among these patients.
• Chronic kidney disease prevalence rose from 21.5% to 23.7% by 2023.
• The prescription rates for SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists tripled to 6.2% and 11.5% respectively.
• Despite increased prescribing, only 7.5% of eligible patients received these medications as of 2023.

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