GLP-1 drug helped type 1 diabetes patients keep healthy glucose levels and lose weight

Elizabeth Cooney is a cardiovascular disease reporter at STAT, covering heart, stroke, and metabolic conditions. You can reach Liz on Signal at LizC.22.

Obesity drugs were first approved to treat type 2 diabetes, but there’s a growing movement to test them in type 1 diabetes, too. Research presented Monday at a large diabetes meeting showed some promise for this approach.

Patients who took a GLP-1 drug fared better than those in a control group at keeping their blood glucose levels in a healthy range while also losing more weight than those who weren’t taking the drug.

The double-blinded, randomized control trial enrolled 72 adults with a BMI of 30 or higher who use automated insulin delivery systems to manage their type 1 diabetes. Split into two groups, half received weekly 1-milligram injections of semaglutide — the preferred GLP-1 drug and dose when the study was designed five years ago — and half received a placebo.