Real-world use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes: A retrospective database study (DEFINE-G)
Mitsuru Ohsugi, Kosei Eguchi, Julie T Mortensen, Yuiko Yamamoto, Kohjiro Ueki
Abstract
Aims To understand glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) use in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Japan. Methods Characteristics of people receiving GLP-1RAs between 2016 and 2020 in the J-DREAMS database were investigated. Changes in HbA1c, body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), and proportion reaching HbA1c targets were analysed in GLP-1RA-naïve patients 6–24 months after GLP-1RA initiation. Results The proportion of patients with GLP-1RA prescriptions increased from 3.6% to 9.6% during 2016–2020. Among GLP-1RA-naïve patients (n=569), HbA1c reduced –0.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] –0.7, –0.5; –6 mmol/mol [95% CI –7, –5]) 6 months after treatment initiation and stabilised until 24 months (P<0.001); mean BW and BMI reduced –1.05 kg (95% CI –1.31, –0.80) and –0.43 kg/m2 (95% CI –0.53, –0.32), respectively, at 6 months (P<0.001). The proportion of GLP-1RA-naïve patients with HbA1c <7.0% (<53 mmol/mol) and <8.0% (<64 mmol/mol) increased from 16% to 27% and 43% to 65%, respectively, and an HbA1c reduction of ≥1.0% (≥11 mmol/mol) was observed in 33% of patients after 6 months (P<0.001). Conclusions This study shows increased GLP-1RA prescriptions over 5 years. HbA1c and BW reduced 6 months after GLP-1RA initiation in patients with T2D in a Japanese real-world setting.