The Effect of Early Response to GLP-1 RA Therapy on Long-Term Adherence and Persistence Among Type 2 Diabetes Patients in the United States

BACKGROUND: Treatment adherence and persistence are crucial to achieve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Early response to a new therapy may lead to improved treatment adherence and associated outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of early response to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) therapy, as indicated by reduced hemoglobin A1c (A1c) and body weight, on long-term adherence and persistence. METHODS: Adults aged ≥ 18 years with T2D initiated with GLP-1 RA therapy after January 1, 2010, were identified from the IBM Explorys Therapeutic Dataset. Patients were required to have health care utilization ≥ 6 months before and ≥ 18 months after the index prescription. Changes in A1c and body weight from baseline through 6 months were assessed for all patients; early response was defined by > 1% reduction in A1c and > 3% reduction in body weight within 3-6 months. Adherence (assessed as the proportion of days covered [PDC] ≥ 80%) and nonpersistence/discontinuation (in...