- New research presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions shows that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wigovy, has a significant impact on heart health.
- Evidence shows that patients treated with GLP-1 drugs have a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke.
- Symptoms of heart failure also improved when treated with semaglutide.
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 drug originally prescribed for diabetes and then obesity, and may soon treat cardiovascular disease as well.
Over the weekend,
Other studies have also demonstrated that the drug may be used to improve symptoms in patients with heart failure, particularly heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).
Together, both studies, subsequently published in major medical journals, show promise for semaglutide as a treatment option for patients at risk for serious adverse cardiovascular events and heart failure.
In both cases, the study was sponsored by Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic and Wegovy.
A study published over the weekend and concurrently published in the New England Journal of Medicine was a multicenter, double-blind, randomized study by Novo Nordisk investigating cardiovascular disease outcomes in patients treated with semaglutide. We examined the results of the SELECT trial, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. vs. placebo.
A study published this weekend looked at mortality, nonfatal heart attacks, and nonfatal strokes in patients without diabetes. This drug has already been shown to reduce such events in patients with type 2 diabetes.
The trial was the largest ever conducted by the Danish pharmaceutical company, involving more than 17,000 participants from 41 countries.
The study was conducted from October 2018 to March 2021 and took five years to complete, including patient follow-up.
During the trial, half of the participants received semaglutide (2.4 mg once a week) and the other half received a placebo. Patients participating in the trial had to be over 45 years old, have a body mass index of 27 or higher, and have some pre-existing cardiovascular disease. The condition was that there was no history of diabetes.
Patients who took semaglutide had an overall reduced risk of serious cardiovascular disease. The overall risk of cardiovascular events decreased by 20%, the risk of heart attack decreased by 28%, and stroke decreased by 7%.
There were also additional benefits. Body weight decreased by 9.39% in the semaglutide group compared to less than 1% in the placebo group. They also saw improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol, and A1C.
Novo Nordisk previously announced topline data on results from the SELECT trial in August.
Research results announced on November 12th
Researchers used the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ), which scores heart failure symptoms based on a variety of factors, to measure a variety of indicators across areas such as quality of life, social limitations, and physical limitations. I investigated.
The 52-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial included 529 participants. Half of the participants received weekly injections of semaglutide, 2.4 mg, and the other half received a placebo. In addition to obesity, patients had to have a documented history of HFpEF.
Patients treated with semaglutide had significant improvement in heart failure symptoms as indicated by improved KCCQ scores, significant weight loss, and improvements in physical limitations and motor function.
“We are currently on the precipice of a large body of data pointing in the direction that obesity is the cause of these complications. To effectively manage these complications, we need to address obesity and “We need to target the disease,” cardiologist Dr. Mikhail Kosyvolod, vice president of research at St. Luke’s Health System and lead author of the study, told Healthline. .
The results build on previous findings published earlier this year.
HFpEF refers to a type of heart failure in which the heart becomes too stiff to fill properly.
Heart failure and obesity are separate health problems, but they often occur together.a
Dr. Lynn Warner Stevenson, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Vanderbilt University and director of the Cardiomyopathy Program, who was not involved in the study, told Healthline:
“This is a growing wave of exciting developments in terms of finding ways to reduce morbidity and mortality in what I think is a Venn diagram of diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and preserved ejection heart failure.” It is a peak. Fractional number.”
“I think everyone is excited, and we’ve been especially looking forward to the SELECT trial. I think it’s all good news,” Dr. Sang Kim, associate professor of endocrine medicine at Stanford University, told Healthline. She was not involved in the study.
“Endocrinologists have a special affinity for this class of drugs because they were first approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and blood sugar management, but we know they have even more benefits. It turns out,” she said.
Author of accompanying editorial NEJM “We are in a new era of treating obesity and cardiometabolic risk with increasing options. The SELECT trial shows that GLP-1 receptor agonists improved cardiovascular disease outcomes even in the absence of diabetes. We provide evidence.”
However, they also noted that the cost and availability of semaglutide remains a major barrier for many people.
Novo Nordisk has applied for a label update for Wegovy to include an indication to reduce serious adverse cardiovascular events. The FDA granted this update priority review of its Supplemental New Drug Application.
The company provided Healthline with the following statement from Dr. Michelle Skinner, PharmD, Novo Nordisk Medical Affairs, Cardiac and Kidney Therapeutic Area Leader:
“The full SELECT results presented at AHA mark a turning point in obesity science. We look forward to working on the next steps to bring this option to you.”
Emerging evidence suggests that semaglutide may have far-reaching beneficial effects on cardiovascular health and heart failure.
Data from Novo Nordisk’s SELECT trial showed that patients treated with semaglutide had a 20% reduction in the overall risk of serious cardiovascular events compared to placebo.
Another trial also showed that the drug was effective in treating symptoms of heart failure while preserving ejection fraction.
