American Diabetes Association, June 23-26

The annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association was held this year from June 23 to 26 in San Diego and attracted more than 15,000 participants from around the world, including clinicians, academicians, allied health professionals, and others interested in diabetes. The conference highlighted the latest advances in diabetes research and improving patient care, with presentations focusing on treatment recommendations and advances in management technology.

In two phase 3 studies, OASIS 1 and PIONEER PLUS, Vanita R. Aroda, M.D., of the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, and colleagues found that higher doses of orally administrated semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist (RA), results in significant weight loss and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) reductions.

The OASIS 1 trial evaluated the effect of oral semaglutide on the treatment of obesity, demonstrating superior body weight reduction compared with placebo (15.1 percent mean weight loss with oral semaglutide compared with 2.4 percent with placebo; net difference of 12.7 percent). The PIONEER PLUS trial compared doses of oral semaglutide higher than currently approved (25 and 50 mg daily versus currently approved 14 mg daily), demonstrating significantly superior HbA1c reduction and body weight reduction at both of the higher doses compared with 14 mg in adults with type 2 diabetes. The overall safety of oral semaglutide at these higher doses was consistent with the safety profile of the GLP-1 RA class, with the most frequent adverse events reported being gastrointestinal in nature (i.e., nausea, vomiting).

"For OASIS 1, these results indicate that oral semaglutide 50 mg may provide an effective, future option for people with overweight or obesity who would benefit from a GLP-1 receptor agonist," Aroda said. "For PIONEER PLUS, superior glycemic control and body weight loss with oral semaglutide 25 and 50 mg compared with the current highest approved dose of 14 mg suggest that higher doses may support individual, tailored treatment goals."

The OASIS 1 and PIONEER PLUS studies were funded by Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of semaglutide.

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In the masked, randomized CLEAR Outcomes study, Steven E. Nissen, M.D., of the Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues found that bempedoic acid, a nonstatin cholesterol-lowering drug, is effective in reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the risk for cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), nonfatal stroke, or coronary revascularization among statin-intolerant patients.

For the study, the authors enrolled 13,970 statin-intolerant patients, including 4,206 patients with risk factors for heart disease but without a prior heart-related event, and evaluated the percentage of patients who met the primary efficacy end point (a composite of cardiovascular death, MI, nonfatal stroke, or coronary revascularization). The researchers found that cholesterol lowering with bempedoic acid resulted in a 30 percent reduction in major cardiovascular events, including a 39 percent reduction in cardiovascular death. Two-thirds of the patients in the study had diabetes.

"High-risk patients are currently undertreated with statins or other cholesterol-lowering drugs," Nissen said. "This study is a wake-up call that providers need to prescribe cholesterol-lowering drugs more consistently in this group of patients."

The study was funded by Esperion Therapeutics, the manufacturer of bempedoic acid.

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ADA: Childhood Hyperglycemia Linked to Future Microvascular Complications

THURSDAY, June 29, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Higher levels of glycemia during childhood are associated with increased risk of retinopathy, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association, held from June 23 to 26 in San Diego.

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ADA: Reductions in Body Weight With Retatrutide for Obesity

THURSDAY, June 29, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Retatrutide treatment for 48 weeks yields substantial reductions in body weight among adults with obesity, according to a study published online June 26 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association, held from June 23 to 26 in San Diego.

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ADA: Once-Weekly Icodec Superior for Reduction in HbA1c

WEDNESDAY, June 28, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with insulin-naive type 2 diabetes, once-weekly icodec is superior for reduction in hemoglobin A1c, according to a study published online June 24 in the Journal of the American Medical Association to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association, held from June 23 to 26 in San Diego.

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ADA: Once-Weekly Tirzepatide Leads to Weight Loss in Patients With Obesity, T2D

TUESDAY, June 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Once-weekly tirzepatide provides substantial and clinically meaningful reductions in body weight in adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online June 26 in the The Lancet to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association, held from June 23 to 26 in San Diego.

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ADA: Once-Daily Semaglutide Superior for Reduction in Body Weight

TUESDAY, June 27, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Oral semaglutide 50 mg once daily leads to a superior and clinically meaningful reduction in body weight for adults with overweight or obesity without type 2 diabetes, according to a study published online June 25 in The Lancet to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association, held from June 23 to 26 in San Diego.

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ADA: Bempedoic Acid Cuts MACE in Statin-Intolerant Patients

MONDAY, June 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Bempedoic acid is associated with a reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events among statin-intolerant primary prevention patients, according to a study published online June 24 in the Journal of the American Medical Association to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association, held from June 23 to 26 in San Diego.

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ADA: Once-Daily Orforglipron Linked to Significant Weight Reduction

MONDAY, June 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- The nonpeptide glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist orforglipron as a once-daily oral therapy is associated with clinically significant weight reduction, according to a study published online June 23 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association, held from June 23 to 26 in San Diego.

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ADA: Glycemic Control Up With Weekly Icodec Versus Daily Insulin Glargine

MONDAY, June 26, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- For adults with type 2 diabetes, glycemic control is significantly better with once-weekly icodec than once-daily insulin glargine U100, according to a study published online June 24 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association, held from June 23 to 26 in San Diego.

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