Endocrine Abstracts

JOINT2186

Objective: Alexisomia is defined as the difficulty in recognizing and expressing bodily sensations and emotions. The Alexisomia Scale evaluates individuals through three sub-dimensions: DIB, difficulty in describing bodily emotions; LHM, lack of health management based on bodily emotions; OA, over adaptation. In chronic diseases like diabetes mellitus(DM), the inability to recognize and respond to bodily sensations may negatively impact treatment adherence. Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between alexisomia and treatment adherence in diabetic obese individuals and evaluate the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy on alexisomia, depression, anxiety, and stress.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included diabetic obese individuals. Adult patients diagnosed with type 2 DM and a body mass index (BMI) of ≥30 kg/m² were included, while those with active psychiatric disorders and undergoing related treatment were excluded. Anthropometric, demographic, and clinical characteristics, as well as laboratory data and ongoing treatments for at least three months, were recorded. Internal awareness of the participants was assessed using the Alexisomia Scale, while depression, anxiety, and stress levels were evaluated with the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS). Treatment adherence was assessed using the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8).

Results: The study included 38 patients (mean age 60. 2 ± 11. 06 years, 60. 5% female), with a median BMI of 32. 1 kg/m² (range: 30. 0–52. 8). Fifty percent of the patients used insulin, and 39. 5% were receiving GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy. When diabetic obese patients were examined in terms of alexisomia, alexisomia subgroups, depression, anxiety, stress, and treatment adherence, a statistically significant relationship was found between alexisomia and treatment adherence (P = 0. 043, r = 0. 330). Specifically, a significant relationship was observed between DIB and treatment adherence (P = 0. 017, r = 0. 385). Patients were also compared in terms of alexisomia, depression, anxiety, stress, and treatment adherence based on GLP-1 RA usage, but no statistically significant differences were found between the groups (P = 0. 740, P = 0. 464, P = 0. 532, P = 0. 717, P = 0. 532, respectively).

Discussion and Conclusion: Our study found that patients experiencing difficulty in identifying and perceiving their bodily sensations had lower treatment adherence. Screening for these characteristics in patients may contribute to strategies aimed at improving treatment adherence. While GLP-1 receptor agonists are effective therapies for type 2 diabetes, our findings suggest that GLP-1 RA therapy does not significantly impact alexisomia, depression, anxiety, or stress levels. Due to the limited sample size, these findings should be confirmed in larger-scale studies.