Treatment Preferences for Novel Type 2 Diabetes Oral Medications: Insights from the Asian Diabetes Patient Preference Study

Abstract

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a global health concern with significant mortality rate associated with comorbidities like diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Thus, treatment guidelines recommend first-line treatment with sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2Is) and/or glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists for T2DM with comorbidities. However, in patients when these treatments are not tolerated, contraindicated, or considered expensive, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors (DPP4Is) serve as an add-on or alternative for glycemic control without hypoglycemia risk. This study aimed to understand patients' preferences in three South Asian countries between SGLT2I (medication A) and DPP4I (medication B) and the reasons influencing their preference for effective management of T2DM.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study (November 2021 to November 2022) across India, Taiwan, and the Philippines, patients with T2DM on both SGLT2I and DPP4I or neither completed the survey to identify their medication preferences. Differences in baseline characteristics and preferred medication (chi-squared/Fisher's exact tests) and potential attributes influencing preferences (logistic regression) were analyzed.

Results: Among 1224 participants, SGLT2I (64.5%) was significantly preferred over DPP4I (35.5%). Mean age of participants was 59.3 years and the majority were female patients/individuals (52.5%), overweight/obese (56.6%), with glycated hemoglobin levels ≥ 7% (57.6%). Common comorbidities included hypertension (62.7%) and dyslipidemia (75.5%); the majority were without history of CVD (83.7%) or CKD (84%). The most prescribed T2DM medication was biguanide (83.9%), followed by combination of SGLT2Is and DPP4Is (51.3%). The most influential attributes were blood sugar reduction (56.9%), reduced heart failure hospitalization (14.4%), and kidney disease risk reduction (12.1%). SGLT2I users showed a higher preference for heart failure hospitalization reduction (16.5%) or weight reduction (11.1%). Country of residence, thiazolidinedione use, and SGLT2I/DPP4I use were significant factors in logistic regression analyses.

Conclusion: Asian patients with T2DM preferred medication profile resembling SGLT2Is over DPP4Is. Understanding patient preferences may aid optimal glycemic control while reducing cardiovascular and renal risks.

Keywords: Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors; Patient preference; Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors; Type 2 diabetes mellitus.