Statistical analysis
REGRESSION, SECONDARY
We aimed to recruit a total of 300 participants, with a target sample size of 40% Māori and Pacific people. This sample size would provide 80% power at 5% significance level to detect a minimal effect size of 0.35 standard deviation (SD) between Māori and Pacific vs non-Māori/non-Pacific groups on the difference in HbA1c between two test medications, allowing for 10% loss to follow up. Full details were reported in the published trial protocol (All randomised participants were included in the primary outcome analysis, following the intention to treat (ITT) principle. Missing HbA1c data after each treatment were imputed using the baseline value or any lab data collected post-baseline before the scheduled assessment window. Per protocol (PP), analysis was also performed on the primary outcome, including only those participants who provided complete outcome data with no major protocol violations. All outcomes were assessed using valid visit data collected within the scheduled assessment window. No imputation was considered on secondary outcomes. Statistical analyses were performed using SAS version 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA).Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics of all randomised participants were summarised overall and by ethnicity. Continuous variables were presented as mean and SD. Categorical variables were presented in frequencies and percentages. Whether the difference in achieved HbA1c for the two medications was different between Māori and Pacific vs non-Māori/non-Pacific participants was tested using a linear mixed model with both fixed and random effects. The fixed effects included the baseline outcome value, period, medication class, patient group and its interaction with the medication. The random effect included patients as the cluster. The model-adjusted mean difference between two medications was estimated for each patient group, and the interaction effect between medications and patient groups was estimated with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Similar regression analyses were conducted to test the medication response with other patient groups of interest, including OHTG status (high BMI ≥30kg/m