Weight change patterns and healthcare costs in patients with newly-diagnosed type-2 diabetes in Sweden

Aims To describe weight-change pathways in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and associated healthcare costs using repeated BMI measurements and healthcare utilization data. Methods Patients with newly-diagnosed T2D with body mass index (BMI, kg/m²) at diagnosis and subsequent measures at year 1–3 were identified. Based on three-year BMI change, patients were assigned to one of 27 BMI change pathways defined by annual BMI change: BMI↗ (≥1 BMI unit increase), BMI→ (<1 BMI unit change), and BMI↘ (≥1 BMI unit decrease). Mean annual and three-year cumulative healthcare costs were estimated for each pathway by combining Swedish unit costs with resource use from primary care and national patient registers. Results Cohort consisted of 15,819 patients; 44% women, mean age of 61 years, HbA1c of 6.7% (50 mmol/mol), BMI of 30.6 kg/m². Most common BMI pathways (mean costs): BMI→→→ (€5,311), BMI↘→→ (€5,461), and BMI→→↘ (€6,281). General trends: BMI→→→ linked to lowest, BMI↗→↗ linked to highest costs. Conclusion In patients with newly-diagnosed T2D, weight stability was the most common BMI change pattern over 3 years and associated with lowest healthcare costs. Relationship between weight change and healthcare costs appears complex warranting further investigation.