ADA 84th Scientific Sessions Preview: STEP-HFp-EF Trial Data, Tirzepatide for Obesity-Related OSA, Optimizing Diabetes Care in Primary Care

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The largest diabetes meeting globally, the American Diabetes Association’s (ADA) 84th Scientific Sessions, is taking place in Orlando, Florida, and virtually from June 21-24, 2024.

According to an ADA press release, the meeting will host over 11 000 clinicians, scientists, and researchers and feature more than 200 sessions and 2000 original research presentations.¹

The sessions will cover major topics in diabetes research and care, including data on the impact of weight loss medications on obesity, diabetes, sleep apnea, and kidney outcomes; technology and artificial intelligence; and emerging innovations in diabetes care.¹

“This year’s program reflects our dedication to advancing research, fostering innovation, and ultimately improving the lives of those affected by diabetes,” Robert Gabbay, MD, PhD, chief scientific and medical officer at the ADA, said in the press release. “We look forward to an engaging and impactful event that will inspire and drive the future of diabetes care, at a pivotal time of pharmacological and technological advances in the field."¹

Patient Care reviewed the new research to find 3 that would be of interest to primary care clinicians, including how to improve diabetes care, the benefits of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists for patients with heart failure (HF) and diabetes, and tirzepatide as a potential treatment for obesity-related obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Keep reading for more detail.

Optimizing diabetes care in primary care settings.² Researchers will discuss how primary care clinicians can improve their practice for patients with diabetes during the symposium titled “ADA Primary Care Council – What Does a Person with Diabetes Need from Their Primary Care Team?” on Saturday, June 22, from 1:30pm to 3:00pm ET.

According to an ADA press release, the symposium was created to help primary care clinicians identify ways they can deliver consistent, high-quality care to patients with diabetes, lower the risk of complications, reduce hospitalizations, and help patients improve their quality of life.

“What we’re trying to do is bring it all together in one place and tell people, if you’re in a primary care practice and you’re working with patients with diabetes, these are the things we want you to be thinking about that your practice should be delivering,” Pamela Stamm, PharmD, associate professor at the Harrison College of Pharmacy at Auburn University and one of the symposium’s panelists, said in the ADA press release. “And these are the processes to put in place to provide that comprehensive, quality care for your patient with diabetes.”

STEP-HFp-EF trial data on GLP-1RAs for heart failure, diabetes.³ New data from the STEP-HFpEF and STEP-HFpEF-DM clinical trials show that GLP-1RAs can be beneficial for not only weight loss, but also for individuals who have HF and diabetes. The new findings will be presented during the symposium titled “The STEP-HFpEF and STEP-HFpEF-DM Trials—Targeting Obesity to Treat Heart Failure” on Sunday, June 23, from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm, according to an ADA press release.

The clinical implications of both trials will be presented by Subodh Verma, MD, professor, University of Toronto. Mikhail N. Kosiborod, MD, of Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, will be presenting top line results from the STEP-HFpEF-DM trial, which demonstrated significant improvements in quality of life, body weight, HbA1c levels, time to first HF event, and other endpoints. Melanie J. Davies, CBE, MB, of the diabetes research center at the University of Leicester, United Kingdom, will present the metabolic outcomes from the STEP-HFpEF-DM study, including new findings on the effect of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in patients with both diabetes and HFpEF.

“Overweight and obesity have been for many years considered to be comorbidities in people who have heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF),” said Verma in the press release. “There has been a lot of discussion around whether weight is a bystander versus a causal factor in the genesis of HFpEF. This is the first attempt to see if lowering weight would actually result in an improvement in patient-reported symptoms of heart failure, physical function, exercise, capacity, etc., in people with HFpEF. This is a very important advance, conceptually, that points to how obesity is not just a comorbidity in people with HFpEF but is a target for treatment.”

Tirzepatide for obesity-related OSA.⁴ New phase 3 clinical trial data from the SURMOUNT-OSA study show that tirzepatide significantly reduced the apnea-hypopnea index among participants. The data will be presented during the symposium titled “SURMOUNT-OSA Trial Results and Potential Role of Tirzepatide in Treating Obesity-Related Obstructive Sleep Apnea” on Friday, June 21, from 3:45 pm to 5:15 pm ET.

The symposium will include presentations from:

1. Atul Malhotra, MD, professor of medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, on efficacy and safety data.
2. Louis J. Aronne, MD, of Weill Cornell Medicine, on how new findings may affect treatment of obesity-related OSA.
3. Vaishnavi Kundel, MD, MS, of Mount Sinai, on the current therapeutic landscape for treating sleep apnea and the possible role of incretins.
4. Richard J. Schwab, MD, of the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, on the rationale, hypotheses, and study design.
5. Esra Tasali, MD, of the University of Chicago, on the cardiometabolic consequences of OSA.

References:

1. The American Diabetes Association kicks off the 84th Scientific Sessions with breakthrough diabetes research. News item. ADA. June 13, 2024. Accessed June 17, 2024. https://diabetes.org/newsroom/press-releases/american-diabetes-association-kicks-off-84th-scientific-sessions-breakthrough
2. Symposium to discuss how primary care providers can elevate their practice for patients with diabetes. News item. ADA. June 13, 2024. Accessed June 17, 2024. https://www.adameetingnews.org/symposium-to-discuss-how-primary-care-providers-can-elevate-their-practice-for-patients-with-diabetes/
3. STEP-HFpEF trial results show benefit of GLP-1 receptor agonists for patients with heart failure and diabetes. News item. ADA. June 13, 2024. Accessed June 17, 2024. https://www.adameetingnews.org/step-hfpef-trial-results-show-benefit-of-glp-1-receptor-agonists-for-patients-with-heart-failure-and-diabetes/
4. SURMOUNT-OSA investigators will unveil new findings in obesity-related OSA. News item. ADA. June 13, 2024. Accessed June 17, 2024. https://www.adameetingnews.org/surmount-osa-investigators-will-unveil-new-findings-in-obesity-related-osa/