GLP-1 Pill Spurred New Scripts; ‘Food Noise’ Phenomenon; Diabetes and Dementia

First-time prescriptions for anti-obesity medications jumped by 21.7% around the time that oral semaglutide (Wegovy) for weight loss launched, according to Truveta data.

Adults with obesity lost an average 16.6% of their body weight (up to 39.2 lb) with the investigational glucagon/GLP-1 dual agonist survodutide during a 76-week phase III trial, said Boehringer Ingelheim.

Some patients are being forced off their GLP-1 medication after losing insurance coverage. (NPR)

Meanwhile, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) indefinitely delayed a Medicare pilot program that would have had private insurers help cover pricey weight-loss drugs such as semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound). (Axios)

The rising popularity of GLP-1 drugs has led researchers to dive deeper into the phenomenon of “food noise.” (New York Times)

In a phase III trial of adolescents with type 2 diabetes, oral semaglutide (Ozempic) significantly reduced blood glucose, Novo Nordisk announced.

Diabetes was tied to a higher risk of dementia, especially type 1 diabetes and insulin-treated type 2 diabetes, a Korean retrospective cohort study indicated. (Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism)

An inspection report from CMS described how a diabetic patient with dementia at Eastland Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Ohio was subsequently “dumped” on the sidewalk of a homeless shelter. (People)

After 16 weeks, real-time continuous glucose monitoring led to an absolute 0.6% reduction in HbA1c compared with self-monitoring of blood glucose in adults with type 2 diabetes, a randomized trial showed. (Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology)

The American Association of Clinical Endocrinology launched the Diabetes Center of Excellence designation to recognize top international institutions for diabetes care.

A retrospective analysis suggested that short stature and obesity were common in pediatric patients with Bardet-Biedl syndrome, while hypogonadism, hypothyroidism, and insulin resistance were more common in adults with the condition. (Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism)