Therapies that reduce body mass index (BMI) and HbA1c can benefit patients living with type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to a study published in the journal Diabetes Therapy.
Investigators obtained data from the IBM® MarketScan® Explorys® Claims-EMR Data, and subsequently constructed eight annual cohorts over the study period between 2012-2019. Each cohort included adults with T2D who had at least one recorded HbA1c lab result. All patients had a BMI value recorded in the years of interest.
The results showed that over the study period, there was a notable average increase in BMI, with less patients on average achieving glycemic control. The findings also revealed that a higher BMI score was correlated with higher HbA1c values, and these findings were generally consistent in the overall population, and especially true of patients in the 18-44 age group.
“Given the increase in BMI and decreasing percentage of individuals achieving glycemic control among adults with T2D found over the study period, therapies which decrease BMI as well as HbA1c can potentially have a significant impact on the management of T2D,” the researchers concluded. “The growing proportion of the younger age group with higher mean BMI may remain a key subgroup of interest.”
Keywords: Body mass index, HbA1c, Trends, Type 2 diabetes
