Real-World Results of GLP-1 Drugs for Overweight Diabetes Patients in Romania | Research

The takeaway

In 311 Romanian patients with type 2 diabetes and excess weight, GLP-1 drugs improved blood sugar, body weight, and waist circumference in real-world practice.

311 patients
Prospective real-world Romanian cohort on 4 different GLP-1 receptor agonists

What the researchers found

All GLP-1 RAs studied improved HbA1c, body weight, and waist circumference in real-world Romanian clinical practice.

Why it matters

Clinical trial results don't always translate to real-world settings — this confirms GLP-1 drug effectiveness in routine Romanian clinical practice.

The numbers in context

N=311; HbA1c >7.2% and BMI >=25 at baseline; all treatments significantly improved HbA1c, BMI, and WC at 6 months (p values significant).

How the study worked

Prospective observational study of 311 T2DM adults monitoring HbA1c, body weight, and waist circumference on various GLP-1 RAs.

Who was studied

Romanian adults with type 2 diabetes, HbA1c >7.2%, and BMI >=25

What this study cannot tell us

Observational design without control group. Single-country cohort may not generalize to all healthcare settings.

How to read the evidence

Prospective observational study — better than retrospective but lacks randomization and control group.

When this study was published

Published in 2025, reflecting current GLP-1 prescribing patterns in Romania.

The bigger picture

Real-world data from diverse healthcare systems strengthens the global evidence base for GLP-1 drug guidelines.

Questions still open

Which GLP-1 RA performed best in this Romanian cohort?
Do results differ between oral and injectable semaglutide in real-world use?

Common questions

Do GLP-1 drugs work as well in real life as in clinical trials?

This Romanian study confirms real-world improvements in blood sugar, weight, and waist circumference across multiple GLP-1 medications.

Which GLP-1 drug is best?

The study compared exenatide, semaglutide (oral and injectable), and dulaglutide — all showed effectiveness in real-world use.

Read the original research

Translating Guidelines into Practice: A Prospective Real-World Study of a Romanian Cohort Treated with GLP-1 RAs.

Biomedicines, 13(9)

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Popoviciu, Mihaela Simona; Reurean-Pintilei, Delia; Salmen, Teodor; Rus, Marius; Ferician, Anca; Sava, Cristian; Ardelean, Adriana Ioana; Moroianu, Lavinia-Alexandra; Pantea Stoian, Anca. (2025). Translating Guidelines into Practice: A Prospective Real-World Study of a Romanian Cohort Treated with GLP-1 RAs.. Biomedicines, 13(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13092174