Semaglutide Cuts MACE in People With Overweight, Obesity, Regardless of HbA1c
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, July 9, 2024 -- Semaglutide reduces cardiovascular events, regardless of baseline glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), among people with overweight or obesity and established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to a study published online June 22 in Diabetes Care.
Ildiko Lingvay, M.D., from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and colleagues randomly assigned people with overweight or obesity and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease without diabetes to weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg or placebo to examine the cardiovascular effects of semaglutide. Outcomes, including first major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), which included cardiovascular mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or stroke, were examined by baseline HbA1c subgroup and categories of HbA1c change from baseline to 20 weeks.
Baseline HbA1c was <5.7 percent, 5.7 to <6.0 percent, and 6.0 to <6.5 percent for 33.5, 34.6, and 31.9 percent of the 17,604 participants, respectively. The researchers found that across baseline HbA1c groups, cardiovascular risk reduction was not different with semaglutide versus placebo; for all end points, except all-cause mortality, the risk reduction was similar. Across subgroups of HbA1c change, cardiovascular outcomes were also consistent.
"We showed that even people with completely normal blood sugar have the same benefits in reducing MACEs as people with blood sugar levels in the prediabetes range," Lingvay said in a statement. "This is very important information that helps us understand which patients might benefit from the cardiovascular risk-lowering effects of this medicine."
Several authors disclosed ties to pharmaceutical companies, including Novo Nordisk, which manufactures semaglutide and funded the study.
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.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2024
Read this next
Exercise Helps Reduce Side Effects From Cancer Treatment
THURSDAY, May 1, 2025 -- Exercise mitigates adverse outcomes associated with cancer and its treatments, according to a review published online April 29 in the British Journal...
Adoption of Telemedicine Cuts Greenhouse Gas Emissions
THURSDAY, May 1, 2025 -- Telemedicine use modestly decreases the carbon footprint of U.S. health care delivery, according to a study published online April 22 in the American...
Metformin Beneficial for Osteoarthritis Knee Pain in Overweight, Obesity
THURSDAY, May 1, 2025 -- For patients with overweight or obesity and symptomatic knee osteoarthritis, metformin is associated with a greater improvement in knee pain than placebo...
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.