Among adults with diabetes, 57% believe they can manage it with GLP-1s alone
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Key takeaways:
- In a survey of adults with diabetes, 50% said they visited their health care provider three times or less annually.
- More than half felt they could achieve their health care goals with a GLP-1 receptor agonist.
A majority of people with diabetes rely on their primary care provider for diabetes management and believe using drugs such as GLP-1 receptor agonists are enough to manage their disease, according to survey results.
CCS, a medical equipment supply company, conducted and sponsored a survey for adults aged 18 years and older with diabetes who were prescribed a continuous glucose monitor or insulin pump. The survey, which was conducted in collaboration with independent market research firm PureSpectrum, examined participants’ thoughts on GLP-1 receptor agonists, engagement with health care providers and their relationships toward medical equipment suppliers.
In the findings presented at the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists annual meeting, 57% of participants stated they felt medications that induce weight loss such as GLP-1s were the only thing needed to achieve health care goals, Arti Masturzo, MD, MBA, chief medical officer at CCS and an author of the study, said in an interview.
“GLP-1 weight-loss drugs alone are not a silver bullet when it comes to improving the health and well-being of those living with diabetes,” Masturzo told Healio. “These drugs do offer hope for those living with diabetes and others looking to manage obesity, but they should be prescribed in conjunction with hands-on personalized education and coaching, as well as the appropriate medical device technology needed to streamline diabetes self-management.”
Researchers enrolled 1,504 adults with diabetes in the survey, of whom 71% had type 2 diabetes and 92% had health insurance.
Of the respondents, 79% said they had asked a health care provider about using a GLP-1 to help manage their diabetes, with 57% believing that a medication that induces weight loss alone could allow them to achieve their health care goals. Fifty-three percent of participants said they were interested in other weight-loss interventions and 43% felt GLP-1s could reduce their cardiovascular risk.
Masturzo said providers should describe GLP-1s as a holistic treatment and emphasize its role in improving glycemic control and reducing CV risks rather than focusing just on weight loss.
Half of participants reported seeing their health care provider three or fewer times each year, with 3% stating they did not see a doctor at all in the past year. Of the respondents, 67% said they get the majority of their diabetes care from their primary care provider, and 42% said their doctor was their only point of contact for diabetes care. Seventy-two percent of adults said they had significant comorbidities requiring medical attention.
“It was highly concerning to see such a high percentage of patients living with diabetes are not seeing their clinician regularly,” Masturzo said. “This is precisely why nearly 40% of those surveyed stated they did not have enough information when first diagnosed with diabetes. A strong relationship between patient and physician and regular health check-ins throughout the year are absolutely mission-critical to empower patients to lean into managing their chronic disease.”
When asked about medical equipment suppliers, 94% said they were likely to engage with them about diabetes self-management and 89% felt the suppliers understood what it was like to live with diabetes. Sixty-six percent of respondents said they trusted suppliers with health coaching, 63% trusted them with assistance on social determinants of health and 48% trusted suppliers to provide telehealth. Of the participants, 54% stated they would like to receive more educational support from diabetes medical equipment suppliers.
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Chitwood-Vu C, et al. Abstract P-312. Presented at: ADCES24; Aug, 9-12, 2024; New Orleans.
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