Efficacy of Semaglutide in Overweight and Obese Patients with Type 1 Diabetes

Introduction: More than two-thirds of patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are overweight (OW) and/or obese (OB) in the USA and Western Europe, resulting in insulin resistance as in type 2 diabetes. None of the currently available glucagon like polypeptide 1 (GLP-1) analogs are approved for patients with T1D. A higher dose of semaglutide has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for subjects with body mass index (BMI) >27 kg/m². We evaluated the real-world use of semaglutide in patients with T1D.

Methods: This was a retrospective chart review study of 50 OW or OB patients with T1D who were initiated on semaglutide and followed for 1 year. The control group comprised of 50 computer-matched patients (for sex, race, weight, BMI, and diabetes duration) during a similar time period and were not on any weight loss medications.

Results: Most patients (92%) were non-Hispanic white in both arms. Mean ± standard deviation (SD) age and duration of diabetes were 42 ± 11 and 27 ± 12 years, respectively. The continuous glucose monitors (CGM), insulin pump use, baseline BMI and body weight were also similar in the two groups. Baseline glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was insignificantly lower in the semaglutide group (7.6% vs. 8.2%, respectively; P = non-significant [NS]). Total daily insulin dose (TDD) and insulin dose per kg body weight were higher in the semaglutide group at baseline with no difference in basal or prandial insulin dose. There were significantly greater declines in mean (±SD), BMI (7.9% ± 2.6%), body weight (15.9 lbs ± 5.4 lbs), HbA1c, CGM glucose SD and coefficient of variation (CV), and increase in CGM time in range (TIR) in the semaglutide group compared to the control group with no difference in insulin dose changes, time above range (TAR), or time below range (TBR).

Conclusions: We conclude that use of semaglutide in patients who are OW and/or OB with T1D was effective in lowering body weight and BMI, and improving glycemic metrics in this pilot real-world study. We strongly recommend performing prospective, large-randomized clinical trials with newer GLP-1 analogs like semaglutide and tirzepatide (twin-cretin) for subjects with T1D associated with OW and/or OB.