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Learn MoreWorld Diabetes Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on one of the most pressing health challenges of our time. In 2025, an estimated 589 million adults globally are living with diabetes, a figure projected to rise to 853 million by 2050, driven largely by increasing rates of obesity, physical inactivity, and ageing populations (1). The UK is no exception. Today, around 12.1 million people in the UK are living with either diabetes or prediabetes. Of those diagnosed, Type 2 diabetes (T2D) accounts for over 90% of cases, developing when the body becomes resistant to insulin or fails to produce enough of it (2). This leads to persistently high blood glucose levels, requiring long-term management and intervention. Type 1 diabetes (T1D), an autoimmune condition where the body attacks insulin-producing cells, affects over 400,000 people in the UK, including more than 29,000 children. Unlike T2D, T1D is not preventable and requires lifelong insulin therapy and vigilant self-management (3).
In the past year alone, 200,000 new diagnoses of T2D were recorded in the UK, underscoring the scale and urgency of the issue. With 1 in 5 UK adults now living with either diabetes or prediabetes, coordinated action is needed across healthcare systems, policy frameworks, and community initiatives (4).
This year’s World Diabetes Day theme, “Diabetes and the workplace”, highlights the daily challenges faced by millions of working-age adults managing diabetes. 7 in 10 people with diabetes are of working age, and 3 in 4 report experiencing mental health challenges related to their condition. Stigma, discrimination, and lack of support in the workplace can significantly impact well-being and productivity (5).
Population health-based research is vital for identifying effective strategies to tackle these healthcare challenges and support patients managing chronic conditions such as diabetes. Access to robust, real-world data is essential as it enables researchers to study these conditions and uncover actionable insights. One, such dataset is IQVIA Medical Research Data (IMRD), a longitudinal primary care dataset capturing millions of non-identified patient records across England. IMRD’s comprehensive collection of routinely captured clinical information enables researchers and clinicians to move beyond snapshots in time, offering a dynamic perspective on how conditions are diagnosed, managed, and experienced by diverse populations. Due to its scale and depth, IMRD enables rapid analysis of evolving trends in diabetes diagnosis, therapy adoption, and clinical outcomes. With data updated regularly, health professionals and researchers can detect study patterns and changes in incidence, monitor the effectiveness of interventions, and identify emerging challenges in patient care, all crucial for evidence-based decision making in a landscape where the burden of disease continues to shift. Crucially, IMRD’s granular detail allows for the exploration of geographical and socioeconomic disparities at the heart of diabetes care. By linking patient data with the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), IMRD facilitates the identification of areas, particularly those marked by greater deprivation, where diabetes prevalence and outcomes diverge from the national picture. This capacity to uncover inequities provides public health stakeholders with the actionable intelligence needed to target support, address gaps in care, and ultimately advance health equity for all communities affected by diabetes (6).
Dexter RWE (Real-World Evidence) is an automated, web-based software system designed to transform IMRD and other real-world datasets into actionable insights with unprecedented speed and precision. By automating complex epidemiological workflows, such as data cleaning, extraction, and feasibility analysis, Dexter enables researchers to conduct observational studies and generate clinical evidence in minutes rather than months (7). Over 150 peer reviewed scientific articles have been published using Dexter. At the heart of its clinical relevance is the UOB, Dexter’s academic partner and co-developer, whose expertise in public health and data science ensures that the platform’s outputs are not only technically robust but also aligned with real-world healthcare needs. This collaboration bridges the gap between data science and public health impact, empowering healthcare providers and researchers to identify risk factors, uncover inequalities, and allocate resources more effectively across populations. A joint study abstract, developed using IMRD and powered by Dexter, explores the association between glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and hepato-pancreato-biliary diseases in individuals with T2D. This research was presented at ISPOR Europe in November 2025.
Across the UK, available research paints a vivid picture of how deprivation and diabetes are intertwined. In areas marked by economic hardship, rates of T2D and obesity rise sharply, underscoring a relentless cycle where disadvantage breeds poorer health outcomes. The data reveals pronounced disparities: communities with the highest deprivation indices experience not only a greater burden of diabetes but also elevated obesity rates, often in tandem. Certain areas stand out as hotspots where high obesity prevalence converges with limited access to advanced diabetes care and anti-obesity medications (AOMs). These areas frequently lag behind in terms of access to newer therapies, specialist clinics, and comprehensive support services. Such gaps perpetuate health inequalities, leaving those most at risk without the innovations that could transform their outcomes (8). Our research using IMRD shows that people in deprived areas often wait longer for treatment adjustments, and acting sooner may help them achieve better blood sugar control (9).
T1D, though less common, is not immune to these disparities, patients from the most deprived groups are significantly less likely to access diabetes technologies such as insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors, and are less likely to attend specialist care, resulting in poorer treatment outcomes (10). To address these disparities, targeted interventions are essential. By leveraging IMRD data, healthcare planners can pinpoint priority regions and populations for focused outreach. Tailored strategies might include expanding community-based obesity prevention programmes, deploying mobile diabetes clinics, or prioritising subsidised access to cutting-edge treatments in underserved areas. By closing the gap in access and care, these interventions could fundamentally reshape the health trajectory for those most affected, moving us closer to a future where geography and socio-economic status are no longer barriers to optimal diabetes management (11).
Building on this momentum, the announcement of the Scotland CardioMetabolic Impact Study (SCoMIS) marks a major step forward in the UK’s efforts to tackle obesity through innovation and inclusion. Backed by the UK Government, the University of Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, Novo Nordisk, and IQVIA, the consortium will design a multi-million-pound real-world study involving 3,000 -5,000 participants from across Scotland, with a particular focus on some of the nation’s most deprived communities (12). With IQVIA’s world leading expertise in real-world evidence, the study aims to demonstrate, how expedited access to innovative medicines, combined with IQVIA AI driven digital patient support, will build capacity in primary care, improve outcomes for patients, whilst driving economic growth (12).
To address the disparities in diabetes and obesity care, innovative programmes like the Obesity Pathway Innovation Programme (OPIP) are essential. IQVIA and Roczen are partnering with NHS organisations to deliver innovative, sustainable, and effective weight management services. By combining clinically led digital solutions with world-class health data and research expertise, they are accelerating the development of scalable, evidence-based obesity pathways. The launch of the OPIP in August 2025, backed by £85 million from the UK government and Eli Lilly, marks a significant step forward. With programmes like OPIP paving the way for more equitable and innovative obesity care, it’s important to consider how new treatments, particularly AOMs, are shaping the future of diabetes management (13).
As treatment paradigms evolve, AOMs are emerging as a critical frontier in addressing both T2D and its underlying metabolic causes. Medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide are not only helping people lose weight, but they’re also improving glycaemic control and reducing cardiovascular risk. For people living with T2D, AOMs represent a paradigm shift: moving beyond glucose management to tackling the root drivers of disease. However, real-world data paints a more complex picture. Uptake of AOMs remains uneven, shaped by factors such as cost, clinical capacity, and regional disparities. In the UK, access is further constrained by how services are commissioned across Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), with nearly half of England lacking comprehensive weight management programmes. This positions AOMs as both a breakthrough in medical innovation and a marker of health inequality (14).
For people with T1D, who also face high rates of overweight and obesity, access to AOMs is even more limited, despite emerging evidence of their potential benefits in this group. The lack of inclusion in weight management pathways and clinical trials leaves many T1D patients without viable options for addressing obesity-related complications. As their use expands, ensuring equitable access will be essential, not only for improving public health outcomes, but also for economic sustainability. In fact, modelling suggests that broader access to AOMs could save the UK £52 billion by 2050 by reducing the burden of obesity-related diseases (15).
As the burden of diabetes continues to grow globally, the imperative to harness real-world data has never been clearer. The IMRD database offers a powerful lens through which we can uncover disparities, evaluate interventions, and inform more inclusive healthcare strategies. To truly advance equity in diabetes care, policymakers, clinicians, and researchers must embrace real-world evidence not just as a tool for analysis, but as a catalyst for change. As a global obesity clinical research and implementation thought leader, IQVIA is committed to supporting access and uptake of AOMs to attract inward investment and alter the course of the obesity trajectory in the UK. By integrating these insights into policy and practice, we can move closer to a healthcare system that serves all populations, fairly, effectively, and compassionately. Please contact us for more information. You can also explore the IMRD database in more detail here.
Bibliography
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9. Jude EB, O’Leary C, Myland M, Nixon M, Gooch N, Shaunik A, et al. Evaluating glycaemic control in patients poorly controlled on oral antidiabetic drugs in real-world setting: Results from assessing the Appropriate Timing of Type 2 diAbetes INtensification (ATTAIN). Endocrinol Diabetes Metab. 2020 Jan;3(1):e00094. <
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12. GOV.UK [Internet]. [cited 2025 Nov 11]. Thousands of patients from Scotland’s poorest areas to benefit from landmark UK government-funded obesity study. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/thousands-of-patients-from-scotlands-poorest-areas-to-benefit-from-landmark-uk-government-funded-obesity-studyOPIP Fact Sheet [Internet]. [cited 2025 Oct 16]. Available from: https://secure.constellation.iqvia.com/ObesityPathwayProgramme?sf228676452=1
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14. Klein HE. EASO Recommends Semaglutide, Tirzepatide for First-Line Obesity Therapy | AJMC [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2025 Oct 9]. Available from: https://www.ajmc.com/view/easo-recommends-semaglutide-tirzepatide-for-first-line-obesity-therapy
15. Anti-Obesity Medications: Faster, Broader Access Can Drive Health and Wealth in the UK [Internet]. [cited 2025 Oct 9]. Available from: https://institute.global/insights/public-services/anti-obesity-medications-faster-broader-access-can-drive-health-and-wealth-in-the-uk
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