AHA: Semaglutide Cuts Risk for CVD Events in Patients Without Diabetes
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Nov. 13, 2023 -- Weekly subcutaneous semaglutide significantly cuts the incidence of cardiovascular death and nonfatal heart attacks and strokes in adults with preexisting cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity but no diabetes, according to a study published online Nov. 11 in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2023, held from Nov. 11 to 13 in Philadelphia.
A. Michael Lincoff, M.D., from the Cleveland Clinic, and colleagues assessed whether semaglutide can reduce cardiovascular risk associated with overweight and obesity in the absence of diabetes. The analysis included 17,604 patients (aged 45 years and older) with preexisting cardiovascular disease and a body mass index ≥27 kg/m2 who were randomly assigned to once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide at a dose of 2.4 mg or placebo.
The researchers found that during a mean duration of exposure to semaglutide or placebo of 34.2 months and a mean follow-up of 39.8 months, a primary cardiovascular end-point event (death or nonfatal heart attack or stroke) occurred in 6.5 percent of the semaglutide group and in 8.0 percent of the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.80). Discontinuation due to adverse events occurred in 16.6 percent of participants in the semaglutide group and among 8.2 percent in the placebo group.
"The magnitude of the effect of semaglutide in the current trial was similar to that among patients with diabetes in previous studies (within the constraints of between-trial comparisons), which suggests that treatment with semaglutide could be applied more broadly for secondary prevention of cardiovascular events in the expanding population of patients with overweight and obesity and atherosclerotic vascular disease," the authors write.
The study was funded by Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of semaglutide.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted November 2023
Read this next
342 Cardiology Clinics Acquired by Private Equity Firms in 2013 to 2023
WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2024 -- From 2013 to 2023, 342 cardiology clinics were acquired by private equity firms, with 94.7 percent of the acquisitions occurring between 2021 and 2023...
Small Differences in Weight Change With First-Line Antidepressants
MONDAY, July 1, 2024 -- For eight first-line antidepressants, small differences are seen in mean weight change, with the least weight gain with bupropion, according to a study...
Bariatric Surgery Tied to Lower Risk of MACE, Death in Obesity, Sleep Apnea
FRIDAY, June 28, 2024 -- Metabolic surgery is associated with significantly lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) compared with nonsurgical management among...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.