Dulaglutide Offers Dual Benefits for Elderly: Improved Blood Sugar Control and Knee OA Pain Relief, Study Finds

"We observed significant enhancements in glycemic control, with HbA1c levels dropping from 8.7% to 6.5% over six months," the researchers reported in the journal Pain Management. "Additionally, pain scores, usage of NSAIDs, body weight, and BMI all showed marked reductions over time. There was a strong positive correlation (r = 0.73) between glycemic control improvements and pain reduction."

Type 2 diabetes is a prevalent condition among older adults, often accompanied by various complications, including osteoarthritis. As age progresses, the incidence of joint-related issues increases, leading to debilitating pain and mobility challenges. Integrating dulaglutide into treatment regimens offers a promising solution, as evidenced by recent clinical trials.

Against the above background, Shatavisa Mukherjee, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, School of Tropical Medicine, Kolkata, West Bengal, India, and colleagues aimed to assess the dual benefits of dulaglutide in improving glycemic control and reducing knee OA pain.

For this purpose, the researchers studied elderly patients with Type 2 diabetes who were diagnosed with bilateral knee osteoarthritis and had been on conventional OA treatment for at least three months. They assessed glycemic metrics, OA pain scores, and NSAID consumption at baseline and three and six months.

The following were the key findings from the study:

• Improved Blood Sugar Control: Following three and six months of dulaglutide treatment, participants showed significant enhancements in their blood sugar levels.
• Reduced Knee Pain: Patients reported decreased knee pain from osteoarthritis and a reduced reliance on painkillers.
• Weight Loss: The treatment also led to a decrease in average body weight and body mass index (BMI).
• Connection Between Pain Relief and Blood Sugar Control: As blood sugar levels improved, there was a corresponding reduction in knee pain associated with osteoarthritis

"These findings indicate that dulaglutide enhances glycemic control and offers beneficial effects on knee joint osteoarthritis pain and body weight in elderly patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus," the researchers wrote.

Therefore, according to recent findings, dulaglutide emerges as a promising therapeutic option for elderly patients with Type 2 diabetes, offering improvements in glycemic control, knee joint pain, and weight management.

"Continued research and clinical applications will be essential in further understanding the full range of benefits and optimizing treatment plans for this vulnerable population. As awareness of its dual effects grows, dulaglutide could change how diabetes is treated in older adults," the researchers concluded.

Reference:

Samajdar, S. S., Bhaduri, G., Ghoshal, P. K., Mukherjee, S., Pal, J., Chatterjee, N., & Joshi, S. R. (2024). Dual effects of dulaglutide on glycemic control and knee osteoarthritis pain in elderly patients with Type 2 diabetes. Pain Management, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/17581869.2024.2402214

,