This medRxiv preprint presents the same OneFlorida+ findings on low GLP-1 RA initiation rates (1.8%) and demographic disparities, prior to peer-reviewed publication.
1.8%GLP-1 RA initiation rate among eligible adults (preprint version of published study)
What the researchers found
Same as published version: only 1.8% of 319,949 eligible adults initiated GLP-1 RA anti-obesity medications, with significant racial, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities.
Why it matters
Preprint made these important access disparity findings available to the research community months before formal publication, accelerating awareness of the GLP-1 access gap.
The numbers in context
N=319,949; 1.8% initiation rate; semaglutide 77.9%; same data as published version.
How the study worked
Retrospective cohort study using OneFlorida+ EHR data (2015-2024) with multivariable logistic regression — preprint version of peer-reviewed publication.
Who was studied
Adults eligible for obesity medication in Florida
What this study cannot tell us
Preprint — not yet peer-reviewed at time of posting; same methodological limitations as the published version (single regional network, EHR data constraints).
How to read the evidence
Preprint of a large retrospective cohort study; subsequently peer-reviewed and published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
When this study was published
Preprint posted in 2025; the peer-reviewed version was published in the same year (see index 288, PMID 40035205).
The bigger picture
The preprint-to-publication pipeline for this study illustrates how time-sensitive health equity data reaches the research community faster through preprint servers.
Questions still open
- Were any findings modified between the preprint and final published version?
- How quickly did the preprint influence policy discussions about GLP-1 access equity?
Common questions
Is this the same study as the Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism publication?
Should I cite the preprint or published version?
Read the original research
Trends and Disparities in Newer GLP1 Receptor Agonist Initiation among Real-World Adult Patients Eligible for Obesity Treatment.
medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences
Citation
Radwan, Rotana M; Lee, Yao An; Kotecha, Pareeta; Wright, Davene R; Hernandez, Inmaculada; Ramon, Ronald; Donahoo, William T; Chen, Yong; Allen, John M; Bian, Jiang; Guo, Jingchuan. (2025). Trends and Disparities in Newer GLP1 Receptor Agonist Initiation among Real-World Adult Patients Eligible for Obesity Treatment.. medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.01.20.25320839