Real‐world prevalence of the inclusion criteria for the LEADER trial: Data from a national general practice network

AIMS: To explore the prevalence and describe the clinical characteristics of people with type 2 diabetes with a similar cardiovascular (CV) profile to that of the LEADER trial participants in a primary care setting in England. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross‐sectional analysis, using the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Research and Surveillance Centre (RSC) network database, we identified people with type 2 diabetes meeting the LEADER inclusion criteria. We identified people's CV risk factors using computerized medical records. Additionally, we assessed the prescription pattern of glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists (GLP‐1RAs) in this cohort. RESULTS: Of 1 275 461 adults, we identified 84 394 with type 2 diabetes, of whom 14 000 (16.6%) met the LEADER inclusion criteria for established or high‐risk CV disease (RCGP RSC‐CVD group). The LEADER cohort was younger than the RCGP RSC‐CVD group (64.2 vs 73.2 years), had higher mean glycated haemoglobin (71.6 vs 67.1 mmol/mol) and blood pressure (BP) values (systolic BP: 135.9 vs 132.9 mmHg; diastolic BP: 77.2 vs 72.7 mmHg), and a higher mean body mass index (32.5 vs 30.9 kg/m(2)). In the RCGP RSC‐CVD group, only 1215 people (8.7%) had ever been prescribed a GLP‐1RA and 760 (5.4%) had ever received liraglutide. CONCLUSIONS: In a cohort of English general practice patients, one in six people with type 2 diabetes met the LEADER inclusion criteria, and less than one in 10 of these received liraglutide, a drug which has demonstrated CV benefits amongst others. There is scope to improve the outlook in people with type 2 diabetes and high CV risk through evidence‐based use of specific GLP‐1RAs.