Impact of Glucose-Lowering Medications on Health-Related Quality of Life in the Glycemia Reduction Approaches in Diabetes: A Comparative Effectiveness Study (GRADE)
Authors' conclusion
Adding liraglutide to metformin in participants within 10 years of T2D diagnosis showed improvement in the SF-36 PCS in comparisons with the other medications at 1 year, which was no longer significant at years 2 and 3. Improvement was related to weight loss and baseline BMI.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with T2D <10 years, HbA1c 6.8–8.5%, on metformin monotherapy; baseline mean age 57 years4,885 with baseline health-related quality of life (HRQoL)
- Participants
- 5,047 adults
- Comparison
- Glargine vs glimepiride vs liraglutide vs sitagliptin, each added to metformin
- Primary endpoint
- Changes in HRQoL (QWB-SA, SF-36 PCS and MCS)
- Follow-up
- Years 1, 2 and 3
Methodological detailscomparative effectiveness, intention-to-treat
- Comparative effectiveness
- Intention-to-treat
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
HRQoL (QWB-SA, SF-36 PCS, MCS)
- None of the medications worsened HRQoL
- No differences in Quality of Well-being Scale (QWB-SA) or MCS by treatment group at any time point
- PCS scores improved with liraglutide vs other groups at year 1 only
- Intention-to-treat analyses
Further findings
Role of weight loss in PCS improvement · year 1
- Greater weight loss during year 1 explained half the improvement in PCS with liraglutide vs glargine and glimepiride
PCS by baseline BMI tertile (liraglutide) · year 1
- Liraglutide participants in the upper tertile of baseline BMI showed the greatest PCS improvement
Original publication
Impact of Glucose-Lowering Medications on Health-Related Quality of Life in the Glycemia Reduction Approaches in Diabetes: A Comparative Effectiveness Study (GRADE). Diabetes Care. Published 8 January 2024. doi:10.
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