The use of GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors among U.S. patients with type 2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease nearly tripled between 2018 and 2022, according to a recent study.

The retrospective observational study analyzed trends in the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) in U.S. patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) from 2018 to 2022. Researchers evaluated data from the TriNetX Dataworks–USA network to assess changes in the prevalence and incident use of these medications.

Published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, researchers found that the prevalence of GLP-1 RA and/or SGLT2i use increased from 9.2% in 2018 to 27.1% in 2022. GLP-1 RA-alone use increased from 5.2% to 9.9%, while SGLT2i-alone use increased from 2.8% to 12.2% during the same period. Among patients with newly diagnosed ASCVD, incident use of GLP-1 RAs and/or SGLT2is increased from 5.9% to 17.0% between 2018 and 2022. The study also reported a rise in GLP-1 RA-alone use from 3.6% to 7.8% and SGLT2i-alone use from 1.8% to 7.0%.

Despite these trends, the utilization of GLP-1 RAs and SGLT2is remains lower than expected based on their known cardiovascular benefits. The utilization of these two drug classes, which are recommended for cardiovascular risk reduction, continues to be less than ideal, suggesting a need for further investigation into the obstacles preventing adherence to clinical guidelines.

Full disclosures can be found in the published study.