Background: Previous studies report weight loss to be associated with significantly lower total health care costs among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The effect of weight change on health care costs, independent of glycemic control and after controlling for time-varying covariates among T2DM patients, remains unknown.
Objective: To evaluate the effect of weight change, independent of glycemic control, on all-cause and T2DM-related health care resource utilization (HCRU) and costs among T2DM patients in the United States.
Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using a linked data extract composed of IQVIA's RWI Data Adjudicated Claims-US and Ambulatory Electronic Medical Record data. Adults (aged ≥ 18 years) with T2DM receiving ≥ 1 oral antidiabetic drug (OAD) medication, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA), and/or short- or long-acting insulin between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2014 were included (the date of the first observed medical claim with a diagnosis code or medication prescription claim was the index date). Baseline characteristics were evaluated in the 6-month pre-index period. Weight loss (3%, 5%, or 7% from baseline) was evaluated over two 6-month periods (months 1-6 and 7-12) following the index date. Covariates included time-varying weight, hemoglobin A1c (A1c), costs, and HCRU within each 6-month period. Outcomes of interest (all-cause and T2DM-related HCRU and costs) were evaluated in the 6-month (months 13-18) and 12-month (months 13-24) periods following the initial 1- to 6-month and 7- to 12-month post-index periods. Structural nested mean models were used to evaluate the effect of weight change on these outcomes, independent of glycemic control.
Results: 1,407 patients were included (mean age = 55 years; 55% male), with a mean baseline weight of 102.2 kg (median = 99.7 kg) and a mean baseline A1c of 7.4% (median = 6.9%). In adjusted analysis, weight loss was associated with significantly lower all-cause and T2DM-related annual total health care costs. Compared with those showing no weight change, a 3%, 5%, and 7% weight loss resulted in approximately $500, $800, and $1,100 in savings, respectively, in all-cause annual total health care costs per patient in the year following the weight loss. Similarly, compared with those with no weight change, a 3%, 5%, and 7% weight loss resulted in approximately $200, $300, and $400 in savings, respectively, in T2DM-related annual total health care costs per patient in the following year. Even greater savings (up to ~$2,000 and ~$800 in all-cause and T2DM-related annual costs per patient, respectively) were experienced by those who lost weight compared with those who gained weight.
Conclusions: After accounting for glycemic control, this study found that weight loss was associated with additional significant reductions in all-cause and T2DM-related annual total health care costs. Understanding the role of weight loss in T2DM may provide useful evidence for decision makers as they evaluate therapy options for T2DM.
Disclosures: This study was funded by Novo Nordisk. Dang-Tan, Smolarz, and Iyer are employees of Novo Nordisk. Karkare and DeKoven (employees of IQVIA) and Fridman (employed by AMF Consulting) were contracted by Novo Nordisk to conduct this study. Fridman also reports personal fees from Shire, GSK, and CSL Behring, outside of the submitted work. Lu, an employee of IQVIA, accessed the database and conducted the statistical analysis for this study.