This retrospective observational target-trial emulation uses electronic health record data from the TriNetX US Collaborative Network to compare early treatment intensification strategies in adults with obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome stage 2-3, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease who initiate a GLP-1 receptor agonist or an SGLT2 inhibitor as background therapy. Within each background-therapy cohort, patients who added the complementary class within 90 days of initiation were compared against patients who did not, with prespecified comparisons against both the overall non-complementary cohort and the analytical subset who initiated usual-care add-on therapy (DPP-4 inhibitors, sulfonylureas, or insulin) within the same window. The primary outcome is all-cause mortality over 60 months, with major adverse cardiovascular, kidney, and liver outcomes also evaluated. Propensity-score matching is used to reduce bias from nonrandom treatment selection.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
118,805
All-cause Mortality (Comparison 1)
All-cause mortality from the 90-day landmark date through up to 60 months of follow-up in the propensity score-matched cohort for Comparison 1, comparing adults with obesity, type 2 diabetes, CKM syndrome stage 2-3, and MASLD who initiated GLP-1 RA therapy with early SGLT2i add-on versus those who initiated GLP-1 RA therapy without early SGLT2i add-on (monotherapy).
Time frame: From 90 days after treatment initiation through up to 60 months of follow-up
All-cause Mortality (Comparison 2)
All-cause mortality from the 90-day landmark date through up to 60 months of follow-up in the propensity score-matched cohort for Comparison 2, comparing adults with obesity, type 2 diabetes, CKM syndrome stage 2-3, and MASLD who initiated GLP-1 RA therapy with early SGLT2i add-on versus those who initiated GLP-1 RA therapy with usual care (DPP-4 inhibitor, sulfonylurea, or insulin add-on).
Time frame: From 90 days after treatment initiation through up to 60 months of follow-up
All-cause Mortality (Comparison 3)
All-cause mortality from the 90-day landmark date through up to 60 months of follow-up in the propensity score-matched cohort for Comparison 3, comparing adults with obesity, type 2 diabetes, CKM syndrome stage 2-3, and MASLD who initiated SGLT2i therapy with early GLP-1 RA add-on versus those who initiated SGLT2i therapy without early GLP-1 RA add-on (monotherapy).
Time frame: From 90 days after treatment initiation through up to 60 months of follow-up
All-cause Mortality (Comparison 4)
All-cause mortality from the 90-day landmark date through up to 60 months of follow-up in the propensity score-matched cohort for Comparison 4, comparing adults with obesity, type 2 diabetes, CKM syndrome stage 2-3, and MASLD who initiated SGLT2i therapy with early GLP-1 RA add-on versus those who initiated SGLT2i therapy with usual care (DPP-4 inhibitor, sulfonylurea, or insulin add-on).
Time frame: From 90 days after treatment initiation through up to 60 months of follow-up
Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (Comparison 1)
Composite of acute myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, intracerebral or intracranial hemorrhage, and cerebral infarction from the 90-day landmark date through up to 60 months of follow-up in the propensity score-matched cohort for Comparison 1, comparing GLP-1 RA with early SGLT2i add-on versus GLP-1 RA monotherapy.
Time frame: From 90 days after treatment initiation through up to 60 months of follow-up
Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (Comparison 2)
Composite of acute myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, intracerebral or intracranial hemorrhage, and cerebral infarction from the 90-day landmark date through up to 60 months of follow-up in the propensity score-matched cohort for Comparison 2, comparing GLP-1 RA with early SGLT2i add-on versus GLP-1 RA with usual care.
Time frame: From 90 days after treatment initiation through up to 60 months of follow-up
Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (Comparison 3)
Composite of acute myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, intracerebral or intracranial hemorrhage, and cerebral infarction from the 90-day landmark date through up to 60 months of follow-up in the propensity score-matched cohort for Comparison 3, comparing SGLT2i with early GLP-1 RA add-on versus SGLT2i monotherapy.
Time frame: From 90 days after treatment initiation through up to 60 months of follow-up
Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (Comparison 4)
Composite of acute myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, intracerebral or intracranial hemorrhage, and cerebral infarction from the 90-day landmark date through up to 60 months of follow-up in the propensity score-matched cohort for Comparison 4, comparing SGLT2i with early GLP-1 RA add-on versus SGLT2i with usual care.
Time frame: From 90 days after treatment initiation through up to 60 months of follow-up
Major Adverse Kidney Events (Comparison 1)
Composite of end-stage kidney disease, dialysis dependence or initiation, kidney failure, and dialysis-related procedures from the 90-day landmark date through up to 60 months of follow-up in the propensity score-matched cohort for Comparison 1, comparing GLP-1 RA with early SGLT2i add-on versus GLP-1 RA monotherapy.
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Time frame: From 90 days after treatment initiation through up to 60 months of follow-up
Major Adverse Kidney Events (Comparison 2)
Composite of end-stage kidney disease, dialysis dependence or initiation, kidney failure, and dialysis-related procedures from the 90-day landmark date through up to 60 months of follow-up in the propensity score-matched cohort for Comparison 2, comparing GLP-1 RA with early SGLT2i add-on versus GLP-1 RA with usual care.
Time frame: From 90 days after treatment initiation through up to 60 months of follow-up
Major Adverse Kidney Events (Comparison 3)
Composite of end-stage kidney disease, dialysis dependence or initiation, kidney failure, and dialysis-related procedures from the 90-day landmark date through up to 60 months of follow-up in the propensity score-matched cohort for Comparison 3, comparing SGLT2i with early GLP-1 RA add-on versus SGLT2i monotherapy.
Time frame: From 90 days after treatment initiation through up to 60 months of follow-up
Major Adverse Kidney Events (Comparison 4)
Composite of end-stage kidney disease, dialysis dependence or initiation, kidney failure, and dialysis-related procedures from the 90-day landmark date through up to 60 months of follow-up in the propensity score-matched cohort for Comparison 4, comparing SGLT2i with early GLP-1 RA add-on versus SGLT2i with usual care.
Time frame: From 90 days after treatment initiation through up to 60 months of follow-up
Major Adverse Liver Outcomes (Comparison 1)
Composite of hepatic decompensation (ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, variceal bleeding, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, hepatic failure, hepatorenal syndrome), hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver transplantation from the 90-day landmark date through up to 60 months of follow-up in the propensity score-matched cohort for Comparison 1, comparing GLP-1 RA with early SGLT2i add-on versus GLP-1 RA monotherapy.
Time frame: From 90 days after treatment initiation through up to 60 months of follow-up
Major Adverse Liver Outcomes (Comparison 2)
Composite of hepatic decompensation, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver transplantation from the 90-day landmark date through up to 60 months of follow-up in the propensity score-matched cohort for Comparison 2, comparing GLP-1 RA with early SGLT2i add-on versus GLP-1 RA with usual care.
Time frame: From 90 days after treatment initiation through up to 60 months of follow-up
Major Adverse Liver Outcomes (Comparison 3)
Composite of hepatic decompensation, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver transplantation from the 90-day landmark date through up to 60 months of follow-up in the propensity score-matched cohort for Comparison 3, comparing SGLT2i with early GLP-1 RA add-on versus SGLT2i monotherapy.
Time frame: From 90 days after treatment initiation through up to 60 months of follow-up
Major Adverse Liver Outcomes (Comparison 4)
Composite of hepatic decompensation, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver transplantation from the 90-day landmark date through up to 60 months of follow-up in the propensity score-matched cohort for Comparison 4, comparing SGLT2i with early GLP-1 RA add-on versus SGLT2i with usual care.
Time frame: From 90 days after treatment initiation through up to 60 months of follow-up