Real-world use of once-weekly semaglutide in Thai patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a private hospital setting / Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies

Objective@#To evaluate the real-world use of once-weekly semaglutide among Thai patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in a private hospital setting.@*Methodology@#A retrospective review of Thai patients with T2DM who have initiated semaglutide for at least 1 month between June 2020 and March 2022 at Theptarin Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand.@*Results@#A total of 58 patients (50% female, mean age 55.6 ± 15.9 years, with duration of diabetes 12.6 ± 10.3 years, BMI 31.5 ± 4.4 kg/m2, baseline HbA1c 7.9 ± 1.9%, with prior GLP-1 RA use 24.1%, and concomitant SGLT2i intake (41.4%) were included. During a median follow-up of 6 months, the mean serum HbA1c level reduction was 1.3 ± 1.7% with weight loss of 4.7 ± 4.1 kg. The proportion of patients who achieved optimal and sustainable glycemic control (HbA1c <7.0%) increased from 43.1% to 55.8% at the last follow-up. The proportion of patients reaching both HbA1c targets of <7.0% and 5% weight loss was 27.8%. No cases of pancreatitis, cancer, or progressive retinopathy were observed.@*Conclusion@#In this single center undertaking, it was shown that in among persons with T2DM and obesity in Thailand, semaglutide was associated with short-term glycemic control and weight loss comparable with what has been observed in randomized clinical trials and other RWE.

Celiac Disease as a cause of Anemia and Brittle Diabetes in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus / Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies

@#Untreated celiac disease (CD) leads to an increased risk for hypoglycemia and diabetic complications. However, the diagnosis of CD can be challenging and some extra-gastrointestinal tract manifestations could be a presenting symptom. We report a case of a 29-year-old Indian male with brittle T1DM whose underlying CD was discovered from a work-up for anemia. After an introduction of a gluten-free diet, he gained 5 kgs in two months, was responsive to oral iron supplement, and had stable glycemic control with much less hypoglycemia. Even though this disease is rare in Asian populations, the diagnosis of celiac disease should always be kept in mind when people with T1DM present with unexplained microcytic anemia and/or unexplained hypoglycemia.