A Cleveland Clinic research team has published the first study assessing the independent real-world impacts of weight loss and blood sugar control on clinical outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes treated with antidiabetic medications, and specifically with GLP-1RAs (the class of drug that includes Ozempic and Wegovy).

The study found that for every 1% decrease in BMI, regardless of change in blood sugar, there was a 4% decrease in cardiovascular risk. Further, blood sugar control, independent of weight change, was linked to a lower risk of chronic kidney disease. These findings are clinically meaningful and highlight the importance of treating people with type 2 diabetes for both glycemic control and obesity.

The retrospective findings, published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, used deidentified electronic health record-derived data from more than 1,300 patients with type 2 diabetes evaluated at Cleveland Clinic.