Patient-Reported Outcomes and Impact of Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

• Published in: Patient preference and adherence 2020-01, Vol.14, p.2231-2242
• Main Authors: Gelhorn, Heather L, Boye, Kristina S, Shalhoub, Huda, Matza, Louis S, Jordan, Jessica B, Alhammad, Ali, Anand, Savita B, Ekhzaimy, Aishah A, Strizek, Alena
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cross-sectional studies; Diabetes; Gender; GLP-1 receptor agonists; health-related quality of life; Hyperglycemia; Hypoglycemia; impacts; kingdom of saudi arabia; Medical research; Original Research; Patient compliance; patient-reported outcomes; Preferences; Questionnaires; Self image; Sociodemographics; type 2 diabetes
• ISSN: 1177-889X; 1177-889X
• DOI: 10.2147/PPA.S265126

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has the second highest prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the Middle East. There is a paucity of research on the experiences and treatment preferences of patients with T2DM in KSA. This study explored Saudi patients' health-related quality of life, eating habits, experiences during Ramadan, and preference between two glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) treatment devices. A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted in three cities in KSA. Participants completed sociodemographic and clinical forms, EQ-5D-5L, Impact of Weight on Self-Perceptions, and a diabetes treatment survey. Participants also viewed instructional videos on GLP-1 RA injection devices and indicated their device preference. Of the 310 participants, 53% were male. The mean age was 43 years (range: 30.0-75.0), duration since diabetes diagnosis was 6.3 years (range: 0.2-27.1), the most commonly reported last HbA1c level was between ≥7.1% and 8% (45%). The mean EQ-5D-5L index score was 0.90, with some participants reporting problems with pain/discomfort (34.5%) and usual activities (33.2%). Patients reported a low-to-moderate impact of weight on self-perception. In preparation for Ramadan, participants sought physician advice on diabetes management (37%) and/or increased checks of their blood glucose (37%). After watching the videos, 89% (n=277) of participants indicated a device preference, with significantly more preferring the dulaglutide device (n=186, 67%) over the semaglutide device (n=91, 33%) (p