Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist Treatment in Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is characterized by a progressive decline of insulin production due to a marked destruction of pancreatic B cells. Intensive insulin therapy is the pillar of T1D management. More recently, continuous glucose monitoring devices, closed-loop systems (CLS) and smarter connected insulin pen systems have all significantly helped individuals to improve glycemic control. Despite these advances, however, more than three-quarters of the adult T1D population does not achieve recommended glycemic targets. In addition, aggressive insulin intensification potentiates weight gain and the risk of recurrent hypoglycemic events. Recent significant increase in rates of obesity has also led to a sharp increase in T1D patients who concurrently have adiposity-based chronic disease, increasing their insulin resistance and predisposition for cardiovascular events. While insulin will remain the basis of T1D management, there is an unmet need for individualized adjunctive therapeutic approaches focusing on the prevention of diabetic complications in addition to glycemic control. One such adjunctive therapy currently being explored in T1D are the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), a popular and robust approach in Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) to mimic the natural endogenous GLP-1 incretin. This brief review will focus on the rationale and existing evidence for the use of GLP-1 RAs in the management of T1D.