Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Semaglutide Improves Eating Behavior and Glycemic Control in Japanese Obese Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Abstract

We evaluated time-course changes and the relationship between eating behavior and glycemic profile during the treatment of 34 obese type 2 diabetic patients with the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP1-RA) semaglutide. Changes in dietary habits were evaluated using the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity questionnaire. Semaglutide improved body weight and hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) 3 and 6 months after treatment. In addition, semaglutide led to marked improvements in the total scores for eating behavior items on the questionnaire. In particular, changes in the scores regarding the sensation of hunger, food preference, eating style, regularity of eating habits and emotional eating behavior were significantly improved during semaglutide treatment. By contrast, there were no significant changes in the scores for the recognition of weight and constitution and external eating behavior. Furthermore, changes in the scores regarding the sensation of hunger and food preference were correlated with changes in HbA1c after semaglutide treatment. Multivariable regression analyses showed that the change in the sensation of hunger was related to HbA1c during treatment. In conclusion, the GLP1-RA semaglutide regulates eating behavior, and, in particular, the sensation of hunger is closely related to the improvement in HbA1c by semaglutide in obese patients with type 2 diabetes.