Key result
Lipid-lowering therapy coverage in diabetes increases ~15% over five years despite persistent gender disparities.
Why the study?
With over 5.1 million adults with diabetes in Spain, optimizing cardiovascular prevention is critical, motivating an examination of temporal trends and age-stratified lipid-lowering therapy utilization.
Observational (n=3,962,928)
Yes
Lipid-lowering therapy coverage among diabetic patients in Spain increased by 15.2% from 2020 to 2024, though significant gender disparities persist, particularly in middle-aged adults.
Rising coverage may signal improving access in diabetes; leaves open causes of persistent gender gaps in observational data.
Introduction and Objective: With over 5.1 million adults with diabetes in Spain (14.8% prevalence), optimizing cardiovascular prevention is critical. This study examines temporal trends and age-stratified patterns in lipid-lowering therapy utilization among diabetic patients from 2020 to 2024. Methods: Nationwide analysis of lipid-lowering treatment data in four age groups (0-14, 15-34, 35-64, ≥65 years), stratified by sex, using annual information from 19 Spanish regions. Trends were assessed across the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic period. Results: Treatment coverage increased 15.2% over five years, from 3,440,254 to 3,962,928 cases. Elderly patients (≥65 years) represented 64% of treated individuals, rising 15.4% from 2,203,609 (2020) to 2,542,155 (2024). Middle-aged adults (35-64 years) grew 15.6%, from 1,155,014 to 1,334,477. Younger groups showed different patterns: those aged 15-34 increased modestly (68,732 to 86,354), while pediatric cases (0-14 years) rose from 12,898 to 14,950, likely reflecting increasing type 1 diabetes prevalence. Gender gaps were most evident in middle age (60.1% men vs. 39.9% women among 35-64-year-olds), whereas in older individuals differences narrowed (53.4% men vs. 46.6% women), suggesting later onset or delayed treatment in women.Regionally, treatment expansion mirrored baseline diabetes burden: high-prevalence regions such as the Canary Islands (9.72%) maintained high treatment rates; more moderate-prevalence regions such as Castilla y León (4.51%) showed proportionally lower but stable coverage. Conclusion: Spain shows robust and expanding lipid-lowering therapy coverage across all age groups, resilient to healthcare disruptions. Persistent gender disparities in middle-aged diabetic patients and underuse of earlier treatment in women highlight the need for targeted strategies to achieve equitable cardiovascular risk management. Disclosure J. Ares Blanco: None. E.L. Menendez Torre: None.
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Blanco et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Diabetes (n=3,962,928). Lipid-lowering therapy was evaluated on Lipid-lowering treatment coverage. Lipid-lowering therapy coverage among patients with diabetes in Spain increased by 15.2% over five years, from 3,440,254 in 2020 to 3,962,928 in 2024, with persistent gender disparities.
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