2010 to 2023 Saw Increase in GLP-1 RA, SGLT2 Inhibitor Use in Type 1 Diabetes

Oct 29, 2024

MONDAY, Oct. 28, 2024 (HealthDay News) — From 2010 to 2023, there was an increase in prescribing of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors among individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D), according to a research letter published online Oct. 23 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Piaopiao Li, from the Emory University Rollins School of Public Health in Atlanta, and colleagues examined trends among individuals with T1D prescribed GLP-1 RAs and SGLT2 inhibitors. Data were included for 943,456 individuals with T1D from 2010 to 2023.

The researchers found that from 2010 to 2023, there was an increase in the percentage of the T1D population prescribed GLP-1 RAs from 0.3 to 6.6 percent, while SGLT2 inhibitor prescribing increased from 0.1 to 2.4 percent. An increase was seen in the percentage of T1D patients prescribed either GLP-1 RAs or SGLT2 inhibitors (0.7 to 8.3 percent). All increases were statistically significant. Within the subclass of GLP-1 RAs, semaglutide increased the most, from 0.2 to 4.4 percent from 2018 to 2023. Within one year, tirzepatide, which was approved in 2022, reached 1.3 percent. The greatest increase in SGLT2 inhibitor prescribing occurred in T1D subgroups with cardiovascular disease, while those with obesity had the greatest increase in GLP-1 RA prescribing.

“Prospective studies on the efficacy and safety of GLP-1 RAs or SGLT2 inhibitors in the T1D population are needed,” the authors write. “Before such evidence becomes available, caution should be exercised when prescribing these treatments to individuals with T1D.”

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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