RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Metformin Prescription Rates for Patients with Prediabetes JF The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine JO J Am Board Fam Med FD American Board of Family Medicine SP 821 OP 826 DO 10.3122/jabfm.2022.04.210485 VO 35 IS 4 A1 Alejandro Hughes A1 Tamkeen Khan A1 Kate Kirley A1 Tannaz Moin A1 Arch Mainous A1 Neha Sachdev A1 Janet Williams A1 Gregory Wozniak YR 2022 UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/35/4/821.abstract AB Purpose: Prediabetes is a serious public health concern, with 34.5% of US adults meeting the criteria for prediabetes. The American Diabetes Association has highlighted metformin therapy as a consideration for individuals with BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2, those aged < 60 years, and women with a history of gestational diabetes. We examined metformin prescription rates among a national sample of commercially insured, higher risk patients with prediabetes.Methods: We gathered 2012 to 2018 demographic, laboratory, and prescription data for 53,551 patients with prediabetes from the IBM MarketScan research database. Our primary outcome was metformin prescription rates 1 or 3 years after a laboratory confirmation of prediabetes among patients who have a BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2 or are aged < 60 years.Results: Overall, 2.4% (n = 1,124) of patients received a metformin prescription within 1 year of a laboratory confirmed prediabetes result, including 2.4% of patients aged < 60 years and 10.4% of those with BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2. By a 3 year follow-up, 4.1% (n = 1901) received a metformin prescription, including 3.9% of patients aged < 60 years and 14.0% with BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2. Patients who developed type 2 diabetes within the 1 (n = 2,769) or 3 year (n = 7,268) follow-up periods were excluded from analysis.Conclusions: Few prediabetes patients who were either obese or aged < 60 years received a metformin prescription between 2012 and 2018. Prescription rates increased slightly between 1 and 3 years after a prediabetes diagnosis, so strategies to support timely intervention among higher risk patients with prediabetes are critically needed.