Background: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) added to insulin in type 2 diabetes patients have shown to lower body weight, improve glycaemic control and reduce total daily insulin dose in short term studies, although the individual response greatly varies.
Objective: To evaluate GLP-1 RA treatment on body weight, glycaemic control and total daily insulin dose in obese, insulin-using type 2 diabetes patients after 2 years follow-up in a real life setting and to explore a possible relation with eating behaviour.
Setting: The Martini Hospital and the University Medical Center in Groningen in the Netherlands.
Methods: Eligible patients were at least 18 years of age, were on insulin therapy and obese (BMI > 30 kg/m(2)), started GLP-1 RA treatment. At baseline eating behaviour was classified according to the validated Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. A 2 years follow-up was performed. Main outcome measures Body weight, HbA1c and total daily insulin dose.
Results: 151 Patients started with exenatide or liraglutide. 120 patients completed the 2 years follow-up. From baseline to 2 years, body weight (mean ± SD) changed from 117.9 ± 22.1 to 107.9 ± 22.9 kg (P < 0.0001), HbA1c (median, IQR) changed from 7.9 (7.2-8.9) to 7.6 (6.9-8.3) % [63 (55-74) to 60 (52-67) mmol/mol] (P < 0.0001), total daily insulin dose changed from 90 (56-150) to 60 (0-100) Units/day (P < 0.0001). Weight change differed between eating behaviour groups (P < 0.001) in which external eating behaviour (n = 17) resulted in the smallest decline (-3.1 %) and restrained (n = 41) in the greatest (-10.3 %) in comparison with emotional (n = 37, -8.5 %) and indifferent (n = 25, -9.6 %) eating behaviours.
Conclusion: Two year of GLP-1 RA treatment resulted in a sustained reduction of weight, HbA1c and total daily insulin dose in obese, insulin-using type 2 diabetes patients in a real life setting. Largest weight loss was achieved in patients with a predominant restraint eating pattern while a predominant external eating pattern resulted in the smallest weight reduction.
Keywords: Diabetes mellitus; Eating behaviour; GLP-1 receptor agonist; Insulin therapy; Weight loss.