Systemic inequality continues to affect treatment recommendations — even when those same medications can be just as effective for people of all races. In fact, there’s good reason to think Black and Latino people may be particularly good candidates for a GLP-1.
“The presence of cardiovascular disease — such as a history of a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure — are aspects we think about when considering GLP-1s, because there’s proven benefits for reducing all of these events in people with diabetes,” says Dr. Rao. Because of this, he adds, it’s crucial for your physician to take a good health history and uncover any information that could be linked to these conditions.
People who have a high body mass index and a higher A1C level (a measurement of your average blood sugar levels over the past three months) also make good candidates for a GLP-1, especially because other type 2 diabetes medications aren’t always able to lower A1C levels as much as these drugs can, says Rao.
One study found that treatment with semaglutide (a type of GLP-1) reduced the risk of a major cardiovascular event by 18 percent and the risk of death from any cause by 20 percent in people with type 2 diabetes and CKD.
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