Semaglutide shows promise in reducing heart failure events in patients with HFpEF
Semaglutide significantly reduces the risk of heart failure events, including worsening heart failure, in patients with heart failure with mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), though its effect on cardiovascular death alone was not significant, according to a study.
A post-hoc analysis pooled data from 4 randomized trials—SELECT, FLOW, STEP-HFpEF, and STEP-HFpEF DM—to assess the effect of once-weekly semaglutide injections on heart failure events. The analysis included participants with HFpEF across different conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease.
Key findings from this analysis include:
- Semaglutide reduced the risk of combined cardiovascular death or heart failure events by 31% compared to placebo.
- The risk of worsening heart failure events was reduced by 41%.
- No significant effect was seen on cardiovascular death alone.
- Fewer serious adverse events were reported among semaglutide users compared to those on placebo.
The study concluded that semaglutide may be an effective treatment option to reduce heart failure events in patients with HFpEF.
Reference
Kosiborod MN, Deanfield J, Pratley R, et al; SELECT, FLOW, STEP-HFpEF, and STEP-HFpEF DM Trial Committees and Investigators. Semaglutide versus placebo in patients with heart failure and mildly reduced or preserved ejection fraction: a pooled analysis of the SELECT, FLOW, STEP-HFpEF, and STEP-HFpEF DM randomised trials. Lancet. 2024;404(10456):949-961. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01643-X. Epub 2024 Aug 30. PMID: 39222642.
