National Trends in Use of Sodium‐Glucose Cotransporter‐2 Inhibitors and Glucagon‐like Peptide‐1 Receptor Agonists by Cardiologists and Other Specialties, 2015 to 2020

Apr 27, 2022Journal of the American Heart Association

Changes from 2015 to 2020 in Heart Doctors’ and Other Specialists’ Use of Diabetes Medicines That Lower Blood Sugar and Protect the Heart

AI simplified

GLP-1 Therapies on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

A total of 63.2 million SGLT2i and 63.4 million GLP-1RA prescriptions were dispensed in the United States from January 2015 to December 2020.

Monthly prescriptions from cardiologists for SGLT2is increased 12-fold from 2,228 to 25,815 during the study period.
GLP-1RA prescriptions from cardiologists increased 4-fold from 1,927 to 6,981 over the same timeframe.
In 2020, cardiologists accounted for only 1.5% of SGLT2i prescriptions and 0.4% of GLP-1RA prescriptions.
Primary care physicians/internists dispensed the majority, with 57% of SGLT2is and 52% of GLP-1RAs in 2020.
Endocrinologists had the highest average prescriptions per physician in 2020, with 272 SGLT2is and 405 GLP-1RAs.
Cardiologists showed a preference for SGLT2is over GLP-1RAs, particularly following key clinical trials and FDA label expansions.

AI simplified

Background Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) mitigate cardiovascular risk in individuals with type 2 diabetes, but most eligible patients do not receive them. We characterized temporal trends in SGLT2i and GLP-1RA use by cardiologists compared with other groups of clinicians. Methods and Results We conducted a descriptive analysis of serial, cross-sectional data derived from IQVIA's National Prescription Audit, a comprehensive audit capturing ≈90% of US retail prescription dispensing and projected to population-level data, to estimate monthly SGLT2is and GLP-1RAs dispensed from January 2015 to December 2020, stratified by prescriber specialty and molecule. We also used the American Medical Association's Physician Masterfile to calculate average annual SGLT2is and GLP-1RAs dispensed per physician. Between January 2015 and December 2020, a total of 63.2 million SGLT2i and 63.4 million GLP-1RA prescriptions were dispensed in the United States. Monthly prescriptions from cardiologists increased 12-fold for SGLT2is (from 2228 to 25 815) and 4-fold for GLP-1RAs (from 1927 to 6981). Nonetheless, cardiologists represented only 1.5% of SGLT2i prescriptions and 0.4% of GLP-1RA prescriptions in 2020, while total use was predominated by primary care physicians/internists (57% of 2020 SGLT2is and 52% of GLP-1RAs). Endocrinologists led in terms of prescriptions dispensed per physician in 2020 (272 SGLT2is and 405 GLP-1RAs). Cardiologists, but not noncardiologists, increasingly used SGLT2is over GLP-1RAs, with accelerated uptake of empagliflozin and dapagliflozin coinciding with their landmark cardiovascular outcomes trials and subsequent US Food and Drug Administration label expansions. Conclusions While use of SGLT2is and GLP-1RAs by cardiologists in the United States increased substantially over a 6-year period, cardiologists still account for a very small proportion of all use, contributing to marked undertreatment of individuals with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk.

Full Text

We can’t show the full text here under this license. Use the link below to read it at the source.

View full text ↗

National Trends in Use of Sodium‐Glucose Cotransporter‐2 Inhibitors and Glucagon‐like Peptide‐1 Receptor Agonists by Cardiologists and Other Specialties, 2015 to 2020

Abstract

Full Text

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the glp-1 therapies brief

Abstract

Full Text

Related papers

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the glp-1 therapies brief