Diabetes, obesity & metabolismJan 22, 2025

Blood sugar and weight goals in adults with type 2 diabetes using weekly injectable diabetes medicine in UK primary care

GLP-1 Therapies Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Updated Jan 20, 2026

Abstract

Of 10,816 adults with type 2 diabetes treated with once-weekly injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist therapy, 32.8% achieved glycated haemoglobin () levels below 7% after 6 months.

Patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes for less than 5 years had a higher proportion (34.1%) achieving HbA1c < 7% compared to those with longer disease duration.
Among patients with weight data, 22.0% did not experience any weight loss after 6 months of treatment.
Weight reductions were observed in 34.0%, 27.0%, 11.4%, and 5.6% of patients, corresponding to weight losses of >0%-<5%, ≥5%-<10%, ≥10%-<15%, and ≥15%, respectively.
No significant differences in weight loss outcomes were found based on the duration of diabetes.
Results indicate that a substantial proportion of patients did not meet the HbA1c target or achieve significant weight loss, highlighting a potential gap in diabetes management.

Simplified

AIMS: Evaluate glycated haemoglobin () and weight changes after 6 months of once-weekly (QW) injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist () therapy in UK primary care.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective, non-interventional study, using the Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum primary care database, identified adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) newly initiating a QW injectable GLP-1 RA between January 2020 and November 2021. Dual primary outcomes were proportion of patients with (1) HbA1c < 7% (<53 mmol/mol) and (2) weight loss categories (from 0% to 15+%) after 6 months of continuous GLP-1 RA therapy.

RESULTS: The study cohort comprised 10 816 adults: mean ± standard deviation age 58.8 ± 11.4 years, baseline HbA1c 9.3% ± 1.7% (78.1 ± 18.6 mmol/mol) and body mass index 36.6 ± 7.2 kg/m. Of 5236 patients with data, 32.8% achieved HbA1c < 7% after 6 months; this proportion was higher for time since T2D diagnosis <5 years (34.1%) versus longer disease duration: ≥5-<10 years (28.0%), ≥10-<15 years (18.7%) and ≥15 years (19.3%). Of 3963 patients with weight data, 22.0% did not lose weight; 34.0%, 27.0%, 11.4% and 5.6% achieved weight reductions of >0%-<5%, ≥5%-<10%, ≥10%-<15% and ≥15%, respectively. No major differences in weight loss were observed by diabetes duration. 2

CONCLUSIONS: Two thirds of T2D patients receiving QW injectable GLP-1 RA for 6 months did not attain target HbA1c < 7%, and less than half and one-quarter of patients achieved ≥5% and ≥10% weight loss, respectively. Results suggest an unmet need for better clinical management of T2D in UK primary care.

Key numbers

32.8%

< 7% Achievement Rate

Proportion of patients achieving < 7% after 6 months of therapy.

22.0%

Weight Loss Non-Responders

Percentage of patients who did not achieve any weight reduction after 6 months.

61.0%

Patients Not Meeting Dual Targets

Proportion of patients not achieving ≥1% reduction and ≥3% weight loss after 6 months.

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Competing interests

Kamlesh Khunti has acted as a consultant and speaker for Abbott, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly and Company, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Napp, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Roche, Sanofi‐Aventis and Servier; has acted as a consultant, speaker or received grants for investigator‐initiated studies for AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly and Company, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Novartis, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi‐Aventis; and is the UK Study Lead for Oramed Pharmaceuticals and Applied Therapeutics. Joanne Webb, Kunal Gulati, Lill‐Brith von Arx and Katrien Wijndaele are full‐time employees and stock holders of Eli Lilly and Company. Monica Seif, Thomas Jennison, Antonia Geneidat and Rosie Wild are full‐time employees of Adelphi Real‐World, which received funds from Eli Lilly and Company to conduct this research. Robert Wood was a full‐time employee of Adelphi Real‐World at the time this work was conducted and prepared for publication.

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Blood sugar and weight goals in adults with type 2 diabetes using weekly injectable diabetes medicine in UK primary care

Abstract

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