Semaglutide, the first weight loss drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, is associated with significant reductions in heart failure symptoms among obese patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and type 2 diabetes. That’s according to new research presented at ACC.24, the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine.[1]
Mikhail Kosiborod, MD, a cardiologist with Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, presented the data Saturday, April 6, during the first day of ACC.24. Kosiborod and his team explored data from 616 obese patients with symptomatic HFpEF. Patients were randomized to receive treatment with once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg—sold by Novo Nordisk under the brand name Wegovy—or a placebo for 52 weeks.
The mean change in quality of life, as determined by Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) clinical summary scores, was 13.7 points for the semaglutide group and 6.4 points for the placebo group. The mean change in body weight was -9.8% for the semaglutide group and -3.4% for the placebo group. Serious adverse events, meanwhile, were reported in 17.7% of semaglutide patients and 28.8% of placebo patients. Those events resulted in 1.9% of semaglutide patients and 3.6% of placebo patients discontinuing treatment before the end of 52 weeks.
“Obesity forms a ‘common soil’ that can lead to the development of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and type 2 diabetes, and patients living with both conditions suffer from an especially high symptom burden but have few available treatment options,” Kosiborod said in a statement. “Today’s results, especially when combined with those from the STEP-HFpEF trial, open a new chapter of targeting obesity as a new and effective treatment strategy in patients with obesity-related HFpEF, both with and without diabetes.”
Click here to read the full analysis in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Medicare covering semaglutide for some patients
Back in March, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that Medicare would cover semaglutide/Wegovy if prescribed for its cardiac benefits. Medicare prescription drug plans had not previously covered medications designed to help patients lose weight.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.