Treatment effect heterogeneity following type 2 diabetes treatment with GLP1-receptor agonists and SGLT2-inhibitors: a systematic review

Association between plausible genetic factors and weight loss from GLP1-RA and bariatric surgery

Obesity is a major public health challenge. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RA) and bariatric surgery (BS) are effective weight loss interventions; however, the genetic factors influencing treatment response remain largely unexplored. Moreover, most previous studies have focused on race and ethnicity rather than genetic ancestry. Here we analyzed 10,960 individuals from 9 multiancestry biobank studies across 6 countries to assess the impact of known genetic factors on weight loss. Between 6 and 12 months, GLP1-RA users had an average weight change of -3.93% or -6.00%, depending on the outcome definition, with modest ancestry-based differences. BS patients experienced -21.17% weight change between 6 and 48 months. We found no significant associations between GLP1-RA-induced weight loss and polygenic scores for body mass index or type 2 diabetes, nor with missense variants in GLP1R. A higher body mass index polygenic score was modestly linked to lower weight loss after BS (+0.7% per s.d., P = 1.24 × 10-4), but the effect attenuated in sensitivity analyses. Our findings suggest known genetic factors have limited impact on GLP1-RA effectiveness with respect to weight change and confirm treatment efficacy across ancestry groups.

Emerging biomarkers in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition caused by high blood glucose resulting from insufficient insulin production or cellular resistance to insulin action or both. It is one of the fastest-growing public health concerns worldwide. Development of long-term nephropathy, retinopathy, neuropathy, and cardiovascular disease are some of the complications commonly associated with poor blood glycemic control. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the most prevalent type of diabetes, accounts for around 95 % of all cases globally. Although middle-aged or older adults are more likely to develop T2DM, its prevalence has grown in children and young people due to increased obesity, sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition. Furthermore, it is believed that more than 50 % of cases go undiagnosed annually. Routine screening is essential to ensure early detection and reduce risk of life-threatening complications. Herein, we review traditional biomarkers and highlight the ongoing pursuit of novel and efficacious biomarkers driven by the objective of achieving early, precise and prompt diagnoses. It is widely acknowledged that individual biomarkers will inevitably have certain limitations necessitating the need for integrating multiple markers in screening.

Automated Insulin Delivery in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Nonrandomized Clinical Trial

Importance

There is a need for additional treatment options for people with type 2 diabetes treated with insulin. Given the limited data on the use of automated insulin delivery (AID) systems in type 2 diabetes, studies evaluating their safety and efficacy are important.

Objective

To evaluate the association of AID with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels in a diverse cohort of adults with type 2 diabetes.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This single-arm prospective trial was conducted at 21 clinical centers in the United States among individuals aged 18 to 75 years with type 2 diabetes who had been using insulin for at least 3 months prior to screening. Participants with AID system use were excluded. The study started with a 14-day standard therapy phase, followed by 13 weeks of treatment with the investigational device. The first participant was enrolled April 11, 2023, and the last participant follow-up visit was February 29, 2024.

Intervention

Participants used the Omnipod 5 AID System for 13 weeks following the 14-day standard therapy phase.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Primary outcome was change in HbA1c level at 13 weeks, tested sequentially for noninferiority (0.3% margin) and superiority, compared with baseline.

Results

Among 305 participants (mean [SD] age, 57 [11] years; 175 [57%] female; 72 [24%] Black, 66 [22%] Hispanic or Latino, and 153 [50%] White), 289 (95%) completed the trial. At baseline, 223 (73%) were using multiple daily injections, 63 (21%) were using basal insulin without bolus, 17 (6%) were using an insulin pump, 188 (62%) were using continuous glucose monitoring, 168 (55%) were using glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), and 134 (44%) were using sodium-glucose transport protein 2 inhibitors (SGLT-2is). Following AID use, HbA1c levels decreased from a mean (SD) of 8.2% (1.3) at baseline to 7.4% (0.9) at 13 weeks (mean difference, -0.8 [95% CI, -1.0 to -0.7] percentage points; P < .001 for noninferiority and superiority). Improvement was seen across various subgroups (age, sex, race and ethnicity, insurance), and notably with or without use of GLP-1RAs or SGLT-2is and regardless of pretrial mealtime insulin regimen. Time in target glucose range (70-180 mg/dL) increased from a mean (SD) of 45% (25) to 66% (17) (mean difference, 20 [95% CI, 18 to 22] percentage points; P < .001). Percentage of time in hypoglycemic ranges of less than 54 mg/dL and less than 70 mg/dL was noninferior compared with standard therapy. There was 1 episode of severe hypoglycemia and none of diabetic ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this nonrandomized clinical trial, HbA1c levels were lower in a diverse cohort of adults with type 2 diabetes following AID initiation, suggesting that AID may be a beneficial and safe option for people with type 2 diabetes using insulin.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05815342.

NT-proBNP improves prediction of cardiorenal complications in type 2 diabetes: the Hong Kong Diabetes Biobank

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a natriuretic peptide that is strongly associated with congestive heart failure (CHF). The utility of NT-proBNP for prediction of cardiovascular events and renal endpoints, compared with clinical risk factors, has not been evaluated in detail. We hypothesise that NT-proBNP can improve risk stratification and prediction of cardiorenal events in type 2 diabetes, beyond that provided by clinical risk factors.

METHODS

NT-proBNP was measured in 1993 samples from the Hong Kong Diabetes Biobank, a multicentre prospective diabetes cohort and biobank. A cut-off of ≥125 pg/ml was used to define elevated NT-proBNP. Associations between elevated NT-proBNP and incident cardiovascular and renal endpoints were examined using Cox regression, adjusted for sex, age and duration of diabetes, as well as other covariates. Prognostic and incremental predictive values of NT-proBNP in diabetes cardiorenal complications, compared with those of the Joint Asia Diabetes Evaluation risk equations for CHD, CHF and kidney failure, were evaluated using the concordance index (C index), net reclassification improvement index, integrated discrimination improvement index and relative integrated discrimination improvement index.

RESULTS

A total of 24.7% of participants had elevated NT-proBNP. Participants with elevated NT-proBNP at baseline had a more adverse cardiometabolic profile, with 2-4-fold higher frequency of complications at baseline. Adjusting for age at baseline, sex and duration of diabetes, elevated NT-proBNP was associated with incident atrial fibrillation (HR 4.64 [95% CI 2.44, 8.85]), CHD (HR 4.21 [2.46, 7.21]), CVD (HR 3.32 [2.20, 5.01]) and CHF (HR 4.18 [2.18, 8.03]; all p<0.001). All these associations remained significant after further adjustment for additional covariates. Elevated NT-proBNP had good discriminative ability for various cardiorenal endpoints, with C index of 0.83 (95% CI 0.76, 0.90) for CHD, 0.88 (0.81, 0.94) for atrial fibrillation, 0.89 (0.83, 0.95) for CHF, 0.81 (0.77, 0.84) for 40% drop in eGFR and 0.88 (0.84, 0.92) for kidney failure. Models incorporating NT-proBNP had improved prediction compared with established clinical risk models. Sensitivity analyses including alternative cut-off of NT-proBNP, as well as use of other risk engines of CHD, yielded similar results.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

NT-proBNP demonstrated a promising ability to serve as a prognostic marker for a variety of cardiorenal complications in type 2 diabetes. Considering NT-proBNP in clinical assessments could potentially help identify high-risk individuals who may benefit from more intensive therapies.

Association between plausible genetic factors and weight loss from GLP1-RA and bariatric surgery: a multi-ancestry study in 10 960 individuals from 9 biobanks

Obesity is a significant public health concern. GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RA), predominantly in use as a type 2 diabetes treatment, are a promising pharmacological approach for weight loss, while bariatric surgery (BS) remains a durable, but invasive, intervention. Despite observed heterogeneity in weight loss effects, the genetic effects on weight loss from GLP1-RA and BS have not been extensively explored in large sample sizes, and most studies have focused on differences in race and ethnicity, rather than genetic ancestry. We studied whether genetic factors, previously shown to affect body weight, impact weight loss due to GLP1-RA therapy or BS in 10,960 individuals from 9 multi-ancestry biobank studies in 6 countries. The average weight change between 6 and 12 months from therapy initiation was -3.93% for GLP1-RA users, with marginal differences across genetic ancestries. For BS patients the weight change between 6 and 48 months from the operation was -21.17%. There were no significant associations between weight loss due to GLP1-RA and polygenic scores for BMI or type 2 diabetes or specific missense variants in the GLP1R, PCSK1 and APOE genes, after multiple-testing correction. A higher polygenic score for BMI was significantly linked to lower weight loss after BS (+0.7% for 1 standard deviation change in the polygenic score, P = 1.24×10-4), but the effect was modest and further reduced in sensitivity analyses. Our findings suggest that existing polygenic scores related to weight and type 2 diabetes and missense variants in the drug target gene do not have a large impact on GLP1-RA effectiveness. Our results also confirm the effectiveness of these treatments across all major continental ancestry groups considered.

The potential of precision diabetology for type 2 diabetes treatment-evidence from a meta-regression for all-cause mortality from large cardiovascular outcome trials

AIMS

Two prerequisites must be met for the precision treatment approach to be beneficial for treated individuals. First, there must be treatment heterogeneity; second, in case of treatment heterogeneity, clinical predictors to identify people who would benefit from one treatment more than from others must be available. There is an established meta-regression approach to assess these two prerequisites that relies on measuring the variability of a clinical outcome after treatment in placebo-controlled randomised trials. We recently applied this approach to the treatment of type 2 diabetes for the clinical outcomes of glycaemic control and body weight and repeat it for the clinical outcome of all-cause mortality.

METHODS

We performed a meta-regression analysis using digitalized individual participant information on time to death from 10 large cardiovascular outcome trials (7563 deaths from 99,746 participants) on DPP-4 inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor agonists, and SGLT-2 inhibitors with respect to the variability of all-cause mortality and its potential predictors after treatment.

RESULTS

The adjusted difference in log(SD) values of time to death between the verum and placebo arms was -0.036 (95%-CI: -0.059; -0.013), showing larger variability of time to death in the placebo arms. No clinical predictors were found to explain treatment heterogeneity.

CONCLUSIONS

This analysis suggests that the potential of the precision treatment approach in type 2 diabetes is low, at least with regard to improvement of all-cause mortality in population with high cardiovascular risk. This extends our previous findings for the clinical outcomes of glycaemic control and body weight.

Regional Heterogeneity of the Results of Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonist Trials in Type 2 Diabetes: A Reanalysis of Individual Participant Data

OBJECTIVE

Multiregional trials are designed under the assumption that treatment effect applies to the entire target population, yet several factors may introduce geographic heterogeneity in treatment effect. We explored whether such variations exist in trials assessing the efficacy of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) in major cardiovascular events (MACE) in type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A systematic search of Medline and the Cochrane Library was conducted from inception until 30 June 2020. We included international randomized controlled trials comparing any GLP-1RA versus placebo, with MACE as a primary end point. Individual participant data were subsequently requested from the sponsor or through data sharing platforms. For each trial, we calculated hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95% CIs for MACE, subgrouped by region. We then performed a random-effects meta-analysis and conducted meta-regressions to assess the influence of predetermined variables of interest on treatment effect.

RESULTS

We included six trials including 45,426 patients. Baseline risk of MACE ranged from 2.9 per 100 patient-years in Southern Asia to 7.4 per 100 patient-years in Sub-Saharan Africa. HRs for MACE ranged between 0.25 (95% CI 0.05, 1.12) in Northern Africa to 0.98 (0.79, 1.22) in Western Europe. There was no significant subgroup difference across regions (P = 0.70). Baseline risk of MACE and indexes of development status (i.e., Human Development Index, gross domestic product) were independently associated with GLP-1RA efficacy.

CONCLUSIONS

This study does not suggest any regional heterogeneity of GLP-1RA efficacy in MACE. However, a higher baseline risk and lower development status were associated with a greater benefit of these drugs.

Sex-difference of multifactorial intervention on cardiovascular and mortality risk in DKD: post-hoc analysis of a randomised clinical trial

OBJECTIVE

Women with type 2 diabetes experience higher cardiovascular and mortality risk than men possibly because of a sub-optimal cardio-protective treatment. We evaluated whether an intensive multifactorial therapy (MT) produces similar protective effect on development of adverse outcomes in women and men.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Nephropathy in Diabetes type 2 study is an open-label cluster randomized trial comparing the effect of Usual Care (UC) or MT of main cardiovascular risk factors (blood pressure < 130/80 mmHg, HbA1c < 7%, LDL < 100 mg/dL, and total cholesterol < 175 mg/dL) on cardiovascular and mortality risk in patients with type 2 diabetes. In this post-hoc analysis, we stratified patients by sex to compare the occurrence of MACEs (primary endpoint) and all-cause death (secondary endpoint) between women (104 MT and 105 UC) and men (103 MT and 83 UC).

RESULTS

Achievement of therapeutic goals was similar by sex, with 44% and 47% of women and men in MT achieving at least 3 targets vs. 16% and 20% of women and men in UC. During a median follow-up of 13.0 years, we recorded 262 MACE (48.5% in women) and 189 deaths (53.6% in women). Compared to the UC group, the risk of MACE in the MT group was reduced by 52% in women and by 44% in men (P = 0.11). Conversely, the reduction in mortality risk by MT was greater in women (44% versus 12%, P = 0.019).

CONCLUSIONS

MT similarly reduces the risk of MACEs in either sex. This therapeutic approach is associated with a survival advantage in women as compared with men and it may represent an important rationale to motivate physicians in overcoming their therapeutic inertia often encountered in female patients as well as to encourage patients of both sexes at improving their adherence to multidrug therapy.

Phenotype-based targeted treatment of SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists in type 2 diabetes

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

A precision medicine approach in type 2 diabetes could enhance targeting specific glucose-lowering therapies to individual patients most likely to benefit. We aimed to use the recently developed Bayesian causal forest (BCF) method to develop and validate an individualised treatment selection algorithm for two major type 2 diabetes drug classes, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RA).

METHODS

We designed a predictive algorithm using BCF to estimate individual-level conditional average treatment effects for 12-month glycaemic outcome (HbA1c) between SGLT2i and GLP1-RA, based on routine clinical features of 46,394 people with type 2 diabetes in primary care in England (Clinical Practice Research Datalink; 27,319 for model development, 19,075 for hold-out validation), with additional external validation in 2252 people with type 2 diabetes from Scotland (SCI-Diabetes [Tayside & Fife]). Differences in glycaemic outcome with GLP1-RA by sex seen in clinical data were replicated in clinical trial data (HARMONY programme: liraglutide [n=389] and albiglutide [n=1682]). As secondary outcomes, we evaluated the impacts of targeting therapy based on glycaemic response on weight change, tolerability and longer-term risk of new-onset microvascular complications, macrovascular complications and adverse kidney events.

RESULTS

Model development identified marked heterogeneity in glycaemic response, with 4787 (17.5%) of the development cohort having a predicted HbA1c benefit >3 mmol/mol (>0.3%) with SGLT2i over GLP1-RA and 5551 (20.3%) having a predicted HbA1c benefit >3 mmol/mol with GLP1-RA over SGLT2i. Calibration was good in hold-back validation, and external validation in an independent Scottish dataset identified clear differences in glycaemic outcomes between those predicted to benefit from each therapy. Sex, with women markedly more responsive to GLP1-RA, was identified as a major treatment effect modifier in both the UK observational datasets and in clinical trial data: HARMONY-7 liraglutide (GLP1-RA): 4.4 mmol/mol (95% credible interval [95% CrI] 2.2, 6.3) (0.4% [95% CrI 0.2, 0.6]) greater response in women than men. Targeting the two therapies based on predicted glycaemic response was also associated with improvements in short-term tolerability and long-term risk of new-onset microvascular complications.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Precision medicine approaches can facilitate effective individualised treatment choice between SGLT2i and GLP1-RA therapies, and the use of routinely collected clinical features for treatment selection could support low-cost deployment in many countries.

The Reasons for the Low Uptake of New Antidiabetic Drugs with Cardiovascular Effects-A Family Doctor Perspective

Chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), are difficult to manage because they demand continuous therapeutic review and monitoring. Beyond achieving the target HbA1c, new guidelines for the therapy of T2D have been introduced with the new groups of antidiabetics, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1ra) and sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2-in). Despite new guidelines, clinical inertia, which can be caused by physicians, patients or the healthcare system, results in T2D not being effectively managed. This opinion paper explores the shift in T2D treatment, challenging assumptions and evidence-based recommendations, particularly for family physicians, considering the patient's overall situation in decision-making. We looked for the possible reasons for clinical inertia and the poor application of guidelines in the management of T2D. Guidelines for antidiabetic drugs should be more precise, providing case studies and clinical examples to define clinical contexts and contraindications. Knowledge communication can improve confidence and should include clear statements on areas of decision-making not supported by evidence. Precision medicine initiatives in diabetes aim to identify subcategories of T2D patients (including frail patients) using clustering techniques from data science applications, focusing on CV and poor treatment outcomes. Clear, unconditional recommendations for personalized T2D management may encourage drug prescription, especially for family physicians dealing with diverse patient contexts and clinical settings.

Effect of semaglutide on weight loss and glycaemic control in patients with Prader-Willi Syndrome and type 2 diabetes

Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) is the most common genetic cause of obesity, occurring in approximately 1 in 15,000 newborns. It results from the lack of expression of genes on the paternal allele of the chromosomal region 15q-11q13 (65-75% due to type 1 or type 2 deletion). Individuals with PWS experience associated symptoms such as hypotonia, hyperphagia, and early-onset obesity (before 5 years of age). Around 20% of adults with PWS also develop type 2 diabetes. Previous studies have shown the beneficial effects of GLP1-RA medications, such as exenatide and liraglutide, in treating type 2 diabetes in PWS. However, there is limited information available on the use of semaglutide in PWS. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of semaglutide on weight loss and glycaemic control in four patients with PWS and type 2 diabetes associated with obesity. The patients were started on weekly subcutaneous progressive doses of semaglutide.

Second international consensus report on gaps and opportunities for the clinical translation of precision diabetes medicine

Precision medicine is part of the logical evolution of contemporary evidence-based medicine that seeks to reduce errors and optimize outcomes when making medical decisions and health recommendations. Diabetes affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, many of whom will develop life-threatening complications and die prematurely. Precision medicine can potentially address this enormous problem by accounting for heterogeneity in the etiology, clinical presentation and pathogenesis of common forms of diabetes and risks of complications. This second international consensus report on precision diabetes medicine summarizes the findings from a systematic evidence review across the key pillars of precision medicine (prevention, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis) in four recognized forms of diabetes (monogenic, gestational, type 1, type 2). These reviews address key questions about the translation of precision medicine research into practice. Although not complete, owing to the vast literature on this topic, they revealed opportunities for the immediate or near-term clinical implementation of precision diabetes medicine; furthermore, we expose important gaps in knowledge, focusing on the need to obtain new clinically relevant evidence. Gaps include the need for common standards for clinical readiness, including consideration of cost-effectiveness, health equity, predictive accuracy, liability and accessibility. Key milestones are outlined for the broad clinical implementation of precision diabetes medicine.