(P-245) Use of Non-insulin Antidiabetic Drugs in Children and Young Adults – a Scandinavian Drug Utilization Study from 2010-2019

Background: The incidence of type 2 diabetes in childhood and youth is reported to be increasing, but knowledge on actual utilization patterns of antidiabetics in this age group is limited.

Objectives: To describe trends in the use of non-insulin antidiabetic drugs in Scandinavian children and young adults.

Methods: A population-based drug utilization study using publicly available aggregate data on use of non-insulin antidiabetics from 2010-2019 in Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, and Sweden) in individuals aged up to 24 years. For each non-insulin antidiabetic drug, we calculated the annual prevalence proportion of users, overall and for specific age groups.

Results: From 2010 to 2019, the prevalence of non-insulin antidiabetic users in Scandinavia increased 37% from 0.43 to 0.59/1000 individuals. The prevalence proportions were highest among female adolescents and young adults, but the largest relative increase in use was seen among 10-14-year-olds (78%). Biguanides was by far the most commonly used non-insulin antidiabetic drug with a prevalence proportion of 0.51/1000 in 2019, followed by glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogues, which, however, showed an 8-fold relative increase during the study period.

Conclusions: The use of non-insulin antidiabetic drugs is low, although increasing steadily, among children and young adults in Scandinavia.