Semaglutide Benefits T2DM and Tobacco Use Disorder

For patients dealing with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and tobacco use disorder (TUD), the introduction of semaglutide appears to be linked to a reduced risk of TUD-related healthcare measures when compared to other antidiabetic medications. This finding was published online on July 30 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

A team led by William Wang from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland conducted a study to explore the relationship between semaglutide usage and TUD-related healthcare outcomes in patients who have both T2DM and TUD. The study involved emulating seven target trials among eligible patients to compare the new use of semaglutide against seven other antidiabetic drugs. The analysis covered 222,942 new users of antidiabetic medications, including 5,967 who started using semaglutide.

The research revealed that semaglutide users had a significantly lower risk of medical encounters related to TUD diagnosis when compared to those using other antidiabetic medications. The most notable difference was observed when comparing semaglutide to insulin, with a hazard ratio of 0.68. Even the weakest positive association, which was still statistically significant, was with other glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist medications, showing a hazard ratio of 0.88. Additionally, there was a decrease in prescriptions for smoking cessation medications and a reduction in counseling sessions among semaglutide users. The findings were consistent among patients with and without an obesity diagnosis.

Despite these promising results, the authors caution that the study's limitations prevent drawing firm conclusions. They emphasize that these findings should not lead clinicians to prescribe semaglutide off-label for smoking cessation purposes.