The first drug used is usually metformin, prescribed alongside changes in diet and exercise.

The two medications that work the best were actually the injectable medications: insulin glargine and liraglutide.

All the patients had a benefit.

flat lay illustration of medications with ‘drug news’ text

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Each of the four drugsliraglutide, sitagliptin, glimepiride, or insulin glarginewas used along with metformin.

Sitagliptin was least effective in maintaining target levels.

Treatment effects did not differ based on age, sex, race, or ethnicity.

GRADE had additional resources from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

No pharmaceutical companies had a role in the study, but the manufacturers of the drugs donated the medications.

A Modest Improvement Can Still Make an Impact

Still, the differences the drugs made were small.

The study findings may impact how Burch prescribes medication.

Changes to my personal practice will involve a lower threshold for the addition of insulin therapy, he said.

Ultimately, experts say the findings of the GRADE study support existing guidance.

We hope that this will lead to greater access to GLP-1 treatments earlier in the course of disease.

Since the GRADE study began, more medications in the GLP-1 receptor agonist class have been approved.

You have treatment options.

GRADE Study Research Group.Glycemia reduction in jot down 2 diabetesGlycemic outcomes.N Engl J Med.

2022;387(12):1063-1074. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2200433