Objective: To examine trends in the treatment of diabetes using the biannual interviews of the longitudinal National Population Health Survey (NPHS), 1994–2004 as they relate to changes in Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs).

Methods: A sample of 17 276 Canadians 18 years and older was selected for repeated interviews at two-year intervals from 1994 to 2004 for the NPHS. The population used for this study includes all respondents aged 40 to 79 for any of the cycles.

Results: CPGs issued by the Canadian Diabetes Association in 1998 and 2004 recommend a stepwise introduction of lifestyle changes, to be followed by single then multiple oral antidiabetic agents (OA), and finally insulin until adequate control is achieved. While the use of OA increased, only a small proportion indicated diet or physical exercise as part of their treatment; those with no drug treatment reported less diet modification and physical exercise. Antihypertensives and statin use in Canadians with diabetes increased to double that of Canadians overall, but remained underutilized.

Conclusion: This study provides an update on the treatment of diabetes in Canada between 1994 and 2004. While some changes in diabetes treatment were compatible with CPGs, there is room for improvement, especially in lifestyle modifications.