Semaglutide linked to lower AFib risk—other GLP-1 drugs appear to fall short
GLP-1 receptor agonists have been associated with dramatic improvements in heart health in recent years. Can these popular medications also reduce a patient’s risk of new-onset arrhythmias?
According to new findings published in Heart Rhythm, it all depends on the specific medication being taken.[1]
Semaglutide injections were associated with a significantly lower risk of atrial fibrillation (AFib), for instance, while dulaglutide was actually linked to an increased AFib risk.
The study’s authors performed a meta-analysis of data from more than 155,000 patients who originally participated in one of 94 randomized controlled trials. These trials were not specifically built with arrhythmias in mind, so the group emphasized that any findings should be viewed as “hypothesis-generating rather than confirmatory.”
Overall, the authors found that patients prescribed semaglutide injections faced a significantly lower risk of new-onset AFib when compared to either a placebo or tirzepatide. This was by far the most positive association identified in the team’s analysis. Patients on dulaglutide faced a greater risk of AFib.
Semaglutide is sold by Novo Nordisk under the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic, and dulaglutide is sold by Eli Lilly and Company under the brand name Trulicity. Tirzepatide, meanwhile, is a popular dual GIP and GLP-1 hormone receptor agonist sold by Eli Lilly and Company under the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound.
“What stood out across the class was that subcutaneous semaglutide was the only agent associated with a significant reduction in AFib, while tirzepatide—which usually outperforms it on weight and glucose—ranked lower, and dulaglutide was linked to more AFib,” co-authors Lucas M. Barbosa and Vinícius Martins Rodrigues Oliveira, MD, told Cardiovascular Business. Barbosa is with the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil, and Oliveira is with the Federal University of Goiás in Brazil.
Barbosa and Oliveira also explained why they wanted to investigate this question with new research.
“In just a few years. these agents have become one of the fastest-growing drug classes in medicine, and they are increasingly part of cardiology itself, with benefits already shown in cardiovascular events and heart failure,” they said. “Arrhythmias are the natural next question, and the evidence there is still catching up to that adoption. That gap is what motivated us.”
The two researchers also looked ahead at the importance of future trials exploring this same topic.
Click here to read the full study.
Michael has more than 19 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.