GLP-1 drugs' recent blockbuster appeal has already changed the way providers and pharmacists are doing their jobs, but the American Hospital Association says their appeal could shift other aspects of hospital operations too.
While the drugs are typically used for treating patients who experience diabetes and obesity, other treatments could include cardiovascular disease and potentially other medical conditions too, such as sleep apnea, according to a May 21 update from the AHA.
"FDA approval for a GLP-1 drug to treat sleep apnea could come soon, some analysts predict. Meanwhile, researchers are assessing the efficacy of these drugs to treat such conditions as Alzheimer’s disease, substance-use disorder, kidney disease, smoking cessation and more," the AHA said.
In addition to broader use and a range of possible future treatments, GLP-1 drugs also bring hospitals the promise of data insights to help inform both present and future research and analysis. The data could in time also be used to train artificial intelligence to leverage for additional analysis, according to the AHA.
Data sharing related to the drug class has already begun. Dandelion Health, a technology startup, created an open GLP-1 data library that includes close to 10 million patient records already.
Such data could inform tests and resources to help patients understand how their risk scores and current health could be affected by taking a GLP-1 drug.