Background: Studies involving the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) liraglutide have shown reductions in hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), weight, and insulin requirements in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) requiring high-dose insulin therapy. The effect of the class of GLP-1 RAs on these parameters is unknown.
Data sources: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted in patients with DM2 where a GLP-1 RA was added to high-dose insulin therapy. The primary composite outcome was the change from baseline to 9 months in HbA1c, weight, and insulin dose.
Results: GLP-1 RA therapy was associated with a significant reduction in HbA1c from baseline (-0.9%; P = 0.022). Weight and insulin dose were not significantly reduced from baseline. There was a moderate effect of individual agents on these outcomes, but no significant reductions were seen due to the small sample size.
Limitations: Generalizability of these findings may be limited by the characteristics and size of the study population.
Therapeutic opinion: The effect of GLP-1 RA therapy on HbA1c may be attributed to the medication class. The effect of individual agents on weight and insulin requirements needs further investigation.
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