Weight Loss Drug Semaglutide Lowers Heart Attack Risk in Heart Failure Patients

The anti-obesity drug semaglutide may offer significant heart health benefits for overweight individuals with cardiovascular disease, including those with heart failure, according to a new study led by Professor John Deanfield of UCL. Published in The Lancet, this study builds on previous research by the same team, which found that weekly injections of semaglutide reduced major adverse cardiac events (MACE) like heart attacks and strokes by 20 percent in people with obesity or who were overweight and had cardiovascular disease. The latest findings show that these cardiovascular benefits extend to a subgroup of participants who also had heart failure.

The researchers analyzed data from 4,286 participants out of the 17,605 enrolled in the landmark SELECT trial, who were either given semaglutide or a placebo and followed for over three years. The results revealed that semaglutide led to a 28 percent reduction in major cardiac events and a 24 percent decrease in cardiovascular-related deaths among participants with pre-existing heart failure.

Additionally, there was a 19 percent reduction in deaths from any cause in this subgroup. Professor Deanfield highlighted the importance of these findings, noting that semaglutide's benefits were consistent regardless of the type of heart failure, alleviating previous concerns that the drug might be harmful for those with reduced ejection fraction, a specific heart failure type.

The exact mechanisms through which semaglutide provides cardiovascular benefits remain unclear. However, researchers suggest that its positive effects on blood sugar, blood pressure, inflammation, and potentially direct impacts on heart muscle and blood vessels could be contributing factors.

The study also found that the clinical benefits of semaglutide were independent of age, sex, baseline BMI, and overall health status, making it a potentially valuable treatment across diverse patient groups.

But despite the promising results, the researchers acknowledged the need for further trials to evaluate the impact of semaglutide specifically on heart failure outcomes, as the SELECT trial was not designed as a dedicated heart failure study.

Additionally, they noted that the majority of study participants were male and a high proportion were white, suggesting that future GLP-1 receptor agonist trials should examine responses across different ethnicities and sexes to ensure comprehensive understanding and applicability of the drug's benefits. The study also highlighted that while semaglutide was generally well-tolerated, treatment was discontinued more frequently in the semaglutide group, primarily due to gastrointestinal disorders.

Nonetheless, the overall findings support the use of semaglutide, alongside standard care, to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiac events in a broad population of people with established cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity, marking an important step forward in the management of these conditions.

Reference:

Weight Loss Drug’s heart benefits extend to people with heart failure, study finds. Medical Xpress - medical research advances and health news. August 22, 2024. Accessed August 23, 2024. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-08-weight-loss-drug-heart-benefits.html.