Clinical Characteristics Associated with Adherence and Persistence in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Treated with Dulaglutide

AIMS: This study is aimed at identifying clinical characteristics associated with adherence and persistence in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) treated with dulaglutide. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective observational cohort study used the Common Data Model at Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea. Eligible subjects were followed for one year. Multivariate logistic and linear regressions were used to identify the factors associated with categorical (i.e., adherence status and continuation status) and continuous (i.e., proportion of days covered, or PDC, and treatment duration) outcome measures, respectively. Subgroup analysis was conducted involving patients at high cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk (i.e., having ≥2 identifiable risk factors). RESULTS: A total of 236 patients were included. Increase in age and estimated glomerular filtration rate significantly increased the likelihood of adherence and treatment continuation. In contrast, baseline obesity and baseline use of sulfonylurea and insulin significantly reduced the likelihood of continuing dulaglutide. Similarly, increase in age, switching dulaglutide dose, and baseline neuropathy significantly increased PDC and treatment duration. None of the adherence or persistence outcome measures were significantly different between patients at high CVD risk and their matched controls. Baseline hypertension and the higher baseline LDL-C level significantly increased the likelihood of adherence in patients at high CVD risk. CONCLUSION: Clinical characteristics of dulaglutide users that could have affected their adherence and persistence were identified. Physicians treating T2DM patients with dulaglutide can refer to those clinical characteristics identified in this study to optimize the adherence and persistence to dulaglutide.