Real-World Efficacy of Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonist, Dulaglutide, on Metabolic Parameters in Japanese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Retrospective Longitudinal Study

Abstract

The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) dulaglutide has been shown to improve body weight and glycemic control and reduce major cardiovascular (CV) events. In Japan, dulaglutide is used at a fixed dose of 0.75 mg, which is lower than that in Europe and North America. However, the reports of real-world efficacy on metabolic parameters in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are limited. This study aimed to examine the real-world efficacy of GLP-1RA dulaglutide on metabolic parameters in Japanese patients with T2DM. We retrospectively selected patients with T2DM who had been prescribed dulaglutide continuously for 12 months or longer between September 2015 and December 2020 and compared metabolic parameters at baseline with the data at 12 months after the start of dulaglutide. One hundred twenty-one patients were enrolled in this study. The 12-month dulaglutide treatment reduced body weight by 1.7 kg and hemoglobin A1c by 1.1%. Significant improvements were also observed in serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG) and non-HDL-C. The change in HbA1c during dulaglutide treatment was significantly correlated with the changes in HDL-C (R = −0.236, p = 0.013), LDL-C (R = 0.377, p = 0.005) and non-HDL-C (R = 0.415, p < 0.001). The improvements in HbA1c, HDL-C, TG and non-HDL-C were greater in patients concurrently treated with SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) at baseline. In conclusion, the treatment with dulaglutide has beneficial effects on multiple CV risk factors in Japanese patients with T2DM.