Predictors of glycemic and weight responses to exenatide in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objective This study aimed to identify reliable predictors of haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) reduction and weight loss within 6 months after treatment with exenatide. Methods A total of 343 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were examined and followed up for 12 months. The study patients were divided into two groups: responders and non-responders, which were defined based on their glycemic control (responders: HbA1c reduction of ≥ 1.0%) and weight response (responders: weight loss of ≥ 3%) within 6 months after exenatide administration. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors associated with exenatide response, and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to assess the predictive ability of the identified factors. Results Of the 148 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 53 (35.81%) were responders and 95 (64.19%) were non-responders. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that baseline HbA1c, baseline weight, and duration of diabetes were significant predictors of glycemic and weight responses to exenatide. The area under the curve of the ROC for the predictors of HbA1c and weight responses within 6 months after exenatide initiation was 0.765 (95% confidence interval: 0.686–0.845). Conclusion Baseline HbA1c, baseline weight, and duration of diabetes may serve as predictors for glycemic and weight responses to exenatide.