Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists: Their Potential Role in Prediabetes

Prediabetes is a frequently occurring condition with increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are established antidiabetic agents, also used to treat obesity. There is limited, yet promising evidence on their use in prediabetes. T2DM was less frequent among subjects on liraglutide, semaglutide and tirzepatide compared with the control arm. Delayed progression to T2DM has also been observed. Furthermore, normoglycaemia was achieved for subjects on liraglutide (up to 66%), semaglutide (up to 81%) and tirzepatide (up to 93.3%). However, this effect was only partially sustained following drug withdrawal. GLP-1RAs have led to modest decreases in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting glucose, weight and fat mass loss, as well as increased insulin sensitivity and improved β-cell glucose-insulin dynamics. Decreased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and heart failure was also demonstrated, mostly for subjects on tirzepatide. There is experimental evidence on improvements in liver dysfunction, pointing to potential benefits for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) in prediabetes. The safety profile was acceptable with mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal adverse effects being mostly reported. Future large randomised controlled trials are needed to ascertain the exact role of GLP-1RAs in prediabetes.