Objectives: Real-world clinical effectiveness of liraglutide 3.0 mg, in combination with diet and exercise, was investigated at 4 and 6 months post-initiation. Changes in absolute and percentage body weight, and in cardiometabolic markers, were examined from baseline.
Methods: Using a database of de-identified electronic medical records from six Canadian weight management clinics, a cohort of liraglutide 3.0 mg initiators during 2015-2016 was identified. Post-initiation values at 4 and 6 months were compared to respective baseline values using a paired t-test.
Results: The full cohort comprised 311 subjects, with 210 subjects in the ≥4-month and 167 subjects in the ≥6-month persistence groups. For all subjects, average age was 49.7 years and subjects were predominantly white (77.5%) and female (83.0%). Average BMI was 40.7 kg/m2, weight was 114.8 kg. At baseline, 74.9%, 19.9% and 5.1% of subjects had normoglycaemia, prediabetes, and diabetes, respectively. Average baseline values for HbA1c and blood pressure were 5.8% and 127/77 mmHg. There was a significant change in body weight 6 months after initiation of treatment in persistent subjects (≥6-month: -8.1 kg, p<0.001). Weight loss was also significant for subjects persistent on treatment for ≥4 months (-6.9 kg, p<0.001) and in all subjects, regardless of persistence (-7.5 kg, p<0.001). Percentage change in body weight from baseline for the ≥6-month group was -7.1%, with 63.4% and 35.2% of subjects having lost ≥5% and >10% body weight, respectively. Overall percentage change in body weight was also observed in the ≥4-month group (-6.2%) and in all subjects (-6.6%). For the ≥6-month treatment group, there was a statistically significant change in HbA1c (-0.35%, p<0.001) and SBP (-3.0 mmHg, p<0.01), but not DBP (0.1 mmHg, p=0.90).
Conclusions: In a real-world setting, liraglutide 3.0 mg, when combined with diet and exercise, was associated with clinically meaningful weight loss and with improvements in cardiometabolic markers.