Race of GLPS: Impact on Weight and Glycemic Control on Type 2 Diabetes with Semaglutide Versus Liraglutide

OBJECTIVES Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist that improves glycemic control and reduces body weight in patients with type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Semaglutide with standard Metformin on glycemic control and BMI after 3 and 6 months of treatment. Additionally, we compared the glycemic control and weight benefits of Semaglutide vs. liraglutide. METHODOLOGY This longitudinal cohort study was conducted in a general practice clinic in Clifton and a family medicine health center in Ziauddin University, Karachi from April 2022 till April 2023. We enrolled 128 patients with type 2 diabetes who were treated with metformin alone. Patients received Semaglutide 2mg once weekly in addition to standard metformin 1gm bid for 6 months. HbA1C and BMI were measured at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. We compared the glycemic control and weight loss of Semaglutide with a cohort of participants taking Liraglutide over a period of 6 months in the same catchment area in 2021 to determine which drug has an edge over the other.RESULTSSemaglutide was superior to Liraglutide in controlling sugars (HbA1c% reduction 1.13 vs 0.94) as well as in weight loss (10.6 vs 6.2kg) respectively. Single sample t-test showed a statistically significant difference from the hypothetical mean of HbA1C <6.5% (p-value <0.00) Paired t-test showed a strong correlation between initial weight and after 6 months’ weight and HbA1C respectively. (p-value <0.00 & 0.004). CONCLUSION Semaglutide has proven to be substantially beneficial in reducing weight (10.6kgs) and achieving optimal glycemic control (1.13% HbA1C reduction) over the 6-month study period. Semaglutide is superior to Liraglutide in controlling sugars and weight.