Quality measure attainment with dapagliflozin plus metformin extended-release as initial combination therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes: a post hoc pooled analysis of two clinical studies

BACKGROUND: The use of quality measures attempts to improve safety and health outcomes and to reduce costs. In two Phase III trials in treatment-naive patients with type 2 diabetes, dapagliflozin 5 or 10 mg/d as initial combination therapy with metformin extended-release (XR) significantly reduced glycated hemoglobin (A(1C)) from baseline to 24 weeks and allowed higher proportions of patients to achieve A(1C) <7% vs dapagliflozin or metformin monotherapy. OBJECTIVE: A pooled analysis of data from these two studies assessed the effect of dapagliflozin 5 or 10 mg/d plus metformin XR (combination therapy) compared with placebo plus metformin XR (metformin monotherapy) on diabetes quality measures. Quality measures include laboratory measures of A(1C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) as well as vital status measures of blood pressure (BP) and body mass index (BMI). The proportion of patients achieving A(1C), BP, and LDL-C individual and composite measures was assessed, as was the proportion with baseline BMI ≥25 kg/m(2) who lost ≥4.5 kg. Subgroup analyses by baseline BMI were also performed. RESULTS: A total of 194 and 211 patients were treated with dapagliflozin 5- or 10-mg/d combination therapy, respectively, and 409 with metformin monotherapy. Significantly higher proportions of patients achieved A(1C) ≤6.5%, <7%, or <8% with combination therapy vs metformin monotherapy (P<0.02). Significantly higher proportions of patients achieved BP <140/90 mmHg (P<0.02 for each dapagliflozin dose) and BP <130/80 mmHg (P<0.02 with dapagliflozin 5 mg/d only) with combination therapy vs metformin monotherapy. Similar proportions (29%–33%) of patients had LDL-C <100 mg/dL across treatment groups. A higher proportion of patients with baseline BMI ≥25 kg/m(2) lost ≥4.5 kg with combination therapy. Combination therapy had a more robust effect on patients with higher baseline BMI. CONCLUSION: Initial combination therapy with dapagliflozin 5 or 10 mg/d and metformin improved quality measures relevant to clinical outcomes and diabetes care.