Written by Nancy Lapid
(Reuters) – U.S. military veterans are more likely to use Novo Nordisk’s high-demand diabetes and weight-loss treatment due to racial and ethnic differences, according to a patient data study released on Monday, U.S. Veterans Day. facing inequality.
In the U.S. Veterans Affairs Health System, Black patients and those with Asian or Native American ancestry are less likely to receive semaglutide for diabetes or weight loss than white patients, says study leader Menlo Park Veterans Affairs said Dr. Rebecca Tisdale of the Palo Alto Health System Agency. said California.
Semaglutide is marketed by Novo Nordisk as Ozempic for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and as Wegovy for weight management. It belongs to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Researchers reviewed data on 1.9 million patients considered overweight or obese, including approximately 809,000 with diabetes, at U.S. veteran facilities where access to insurance is not a barrier to treatment. .
They found that black patients with diabetes were 26% less likely to receive a prescription for semaglutide, and black patients without diabetes were 9% less likely to receive a prescription for semaglutide, compared to white patients in these two groups.
There were no significant differences between Hispanic and white veterans. However, among veterans who identified as American Indian/Alaska Native and Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, patients with diabetes were 17% less likely to receive a prescription for semaglutide compared with white patients.
In a study published in the journal Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, researchers found that “of all minority racial groups, people with diabetes are the most severely undertreated.” “It was,” he said.
“This alarming pattern may reflect disparities within disparities,” the researchers said, with some racial and ethnic groups generally less likely to receive these new treatments. “The most severely undertreated populations are among those with multiple indications and therefore the least likely to receive treatment.” Profit. “
“VA’s policy regarding the allocation of GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide remains highly evolving as the supply of these drugs from manufacturers and demand from patients and physicians continues to change. By the way,” Tisdale said. Heart Association Scientific Meeting in Chicago.
“Our hope is that studies like ours will ensure that equity is explicitly considered when these regulations are formed,” she said.
(Reporting by Nancy Lapid; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
