Retrospective Analysis Comparing the Efficacy of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Dulaglutide and Semaglutide

Background: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists have gained popularity in recent years because of their well-established benefits of increased glycemic control, weight loss, cardiovascular protection, and renal protection, with minimal adverse effects, and low risk for hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes. This study explored the effectiveness of the GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide and dulaglutide on body weight and hemoglobin A1c in patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 244 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and prescribed semaglutide or dulaglutide were identified through Lourdes Hospital electronic medical records. Over a 12-month period, in set intervals every 3 months, patients were assessed for changes in their hemoglobin A1c and body weight measured as a reduction in their body mass index (BMI). These primary outcomes were compared using linear mixed models from the lme4 package in R (v. 4.2.2). Results: Semaglutide and dulaglutide showed comparable effectiveness in reducing hemoglobin A1c compared with baseline. Both medications also led to a reduction in BMI. However, semaglutide showed statistically significant improvements in weight loss compared with dulaglutide at 3-6 months ( P = 0.01), 6-9 months ( P = 0.01), and 9-12 months ( P = 0.01). Conclusions: These findings suggest that in type 2 diabetes, semaglutide and dulaglutide show comparable effectiveness in reducing hemoglobin A1c. However, semaglutide was shown to be more effective in promoting weight loss. While these findings may be beneficial when treating patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity, treatment should be individualized to the patient, considering all factors before treatment choice.