OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated whether the combined use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, was associated with larger hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) improvements compared with use of semaglutide alone.
STUDY DESIGN: Using US health care claims data from the Optum Clinformatics database, this retrospective analysis identified adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) using semaglutide.
METHODS: The CGM cohort had at least 1 CGM-related claim between January 1, 2019, and September 30, 2022. Random index dates were used in the control (non-CGM) cohort. At least 1 laboratory HbA1c value was required during baseline and follow-up periods. Outcomes included change in HbA1c and the proportion of people who reached American Diabetes Association (ADA) or Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) HbA1c targets of less than 7.0% or less than 8.0%, respectively.
RESULTS: A total of 21,247 people with T2D were identified, with 18,488 in the control group and 2759 using CGM. Overall, a significantly greater reduction in HbA1c was observed in the CGM cohort compared with the control group (difference-in-differences, -0.55%; 95% CI, -0.64% to -0.47%; P < .0001). Among CGM users, the proportion meeting the ADA target of HbA1c less than 7.0% nearly doubled, and the proportion achieving the HEDIS target of HbA1c less than 8.0% increased by more than 50%.
CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that CGM provides an additive benefit to semaglutide, leading to greater decreases in HbA1c. Expanded use of these complementary therapies in the primary care setting could enable more people with T2D to achieve their glycemic goals.
