Partial non‐adherence to antidiabetic therapy undermines diabetes management and correlates with treatment complexity: A cross‐sectional study using blood plasma analysis
Authors' conclusion
Partial non-adherence is common in T2D and strongly associated with treatment complexity and poor glycemic outcomes. These findings emphasize the need for individualized strategies to support adherence and improve long-term diabetes care. Our study further indicates that plasma analysis using LC-MS methods may serve as a robust tool for adherence assessment.
Study context
- Population
- T2D outpatients attending routine follow-up visits
- Participants
- 641 outpatients
- Exposure
- Non-adherent vs fully adherent patients
- Outcome
- Medication adherence (detection of a prescribed drug above the limit of quantification in plasma)
Methodological detailsplasma drug measurement by LC-MS
- Plasma drug measurement by LC-MS
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Adherence by drug class
- Metformin undetected
- 1.9%
- Adherence: sulfonylureas
- 94%
- Adherence: DPP-4 inhibitors
- 90%
- Adherence: pioglitazone
- 82%
- Adherence: SGLT2 inhibitors
- 73%
- Non-adherent patients in whom only one of the analysed antidiabetics taken was not detected
- 93%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Not reaching target glucose and HbA1c levels
Factors associated with adherence
- Adherence declined with increasing numbers of prescribed agents and daily doses
- No other tested lifestyle or drug management parameters significantly associated with adherence
DKD
- Non-adherence associated with higher prevalence of DKD
Original publication
Partial non‐adherence to antidiabetic therapy undermines diabetes management and correlates with treatment complexity: A cross‐sectional study using blood plasma analysis. Diabetes Obes Metab. Published 10 October 2025. doi:10.
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