Table 1 Characteristics of 27,080 statin-treated patients by triglyceride level measured up to one year after T2DM diagnosis

Triglyceride level (mmol/L)

 < 1.0

1.0–1.9

2.0–2.9

 ≥ 3.0

N

4563 (17%)

14,124 (52%)

5445 (20%)

2948 (11%)

Male

2538 (56%)

7196 (51%)

2860 (53%)

1826 (62%)

Median age (quartiles), years

65 (56–72)

64 (55–71)

61 (52–69)

56 (49–65)

Calendar year

 2005–2008

789 (17%)

2379 (17%)

824 (15%)

459 (16%)

 2009–2012

1955 (43%)

5574 (39%)

1970 (36%)

961 (33%)

 2013–2016

1341 (29%)

4191 (30%)

1743 (32%)

971 (33%)

 2017–2018

478 (10%)

1980 (14%)

908 (17%)

557 (19%)

Days from latest triglyceride measurement until start of follow-up (quartiles)

91 (42–182)

91 (40–183)

87 (37–179)

84 (36–176)

Smoking

444 (10%)

1474 (10%)

660 (12%)

342 (12%)

Alcohol abuse

131 (3%)

314 (2%)

153 (3%)

112 (4%)

Obesity

220 (5%)

1193 (8%)

633 (12%)

320 (11%)

Hypertension

1928 (42%)

6635 (47%)

2636 (48%)

1347 (46%)

Median HbA1c, % (quartiles)

6.3 (5.9–6.6)

6.4 (6.0–6.8)

6.5 (6.1–6.9)

6.6 (6.2–7.3)

Median HbA1c, mmol/mol (quartiles)

45 (41–48)

46 (42–51)

48 (43–52)

49 (44–56)

Median total cholesterol, mmol/L (quartiles)

3.8 (3.3–4.3)

4.0 (3.5–4.5)

4.3 (3.8–4.9)

4.8 (4.2–5.5)

Median LDL cholesterol, mmol/L (quartiles)

1.8 (1.5–2.2)

2.0 (1.7–2.5)

2.1 (1.7–2.7)

2.1 (1.6–2.8)

Median HDL cholesterol, mmol/L (quartiles)

1.5 (1.3–1.8)

1.3 (1.1–1.5)

1.1 (1.0–1.3)

1.0 (0.8–1.2)

Median non-HDL cholesterol, mmol/L (quartiles)

2.2 (1.9–2.6)

2.6 (2.3–3.1)

3.1 (2.7–3.7)

3.7 (3.1–4.5)

Median eGFR, mL/min/1.73m2 (quartiles)

89 (78–98)

89 (76–98)

90 (76–100)

95 (80–104)

Comorbidities (n, %)

 Diabetic eye complications

160 (4%)

480 (3%)

142 (3%)

76 (3%)

 Diabetic kidney complications

39 (1%)

151 (1%)

96 (2%)

63 (2%)

 Atrial fibrillation

173 (4%)

605 (4%)

276 (5%)

117 (4%)

 Chronic liver disease

49 (1%)

144 (1%)

64 (1%)

44 (1%)

 Any cancer

315 (7%)

1,048 (7%)

399 (7%)

181 (6%)

Identification of diabetes patients

 GLD prescription

3811 (84%)

12,206 (86%)

4702 (86%)

2,536 (86%)

 Diabetes diagnosis code

752 (16%)

1918 (14%)

743 (14%)

412 (14%)

Medication use (n, %)

 Non-insulin GLD monotherapy

3789 (83%)

11,829 (84%)

4411 (81%)

2222 (75%)

 Insulin or GLD polytherapy

774 (17%)

2295 (16%)

1034 (19%)

726 (25%)

 Insulin

291 (6%)

519 (4%)

227 (4%)

170 (6%)

 Aspirin

1344 (29%)

3914 (28%)

1421 (26%)

671 (23%)

 Anticoagulants

264 (6%)

992 (7%)

438 (8%)

198 (7%)

 Loop diuretics

259 (6%)

1205 (9%)

596 (11%)

330 (11%)

 Non-loop diuretics

946 (21%)

3439 (24%)

1431 (26%)

632 (21%)

 Renin-angiotensin-system antagonists

2688 (59%)

8800 (62%)

3374 (62%)

1,764 (60%)

 Calcium channel antagonists

1191 (26%)

4035 (29%)

1456 (27%)

775 (26%)

 Beta blockers

692 (15%)

2973 (21%)

1313 (24%)

739 (25%)

 Antipsychotics and anticonvulsants

250 (5%)

1065 (8%)

616 (11%)

418 (14%)

 Antidepressants including SSRIs

536 (12%)

2131 (15%)

1143 (21%)

726 (25%)