New study shows

New study shows

Both injectable and oral forms of semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, have drawn recent attention for their effectiveness against weight gain, high blood sugar and even alcohol cravings.

A new clinical trial led by endocrinologist and diabetes expert John Buse, MD, PhD, and interventional cardiologist Matthew Cavender, MD, MPH, at the UNC School of Medicine has shown that the oral form of semaglutide significantly reduces cardiovascular events in people with type 2 diabetes, atherosclerotic disease, and and chronic cardiovascular diseases and/or chronic cardiovascular diseases and/or in chronic diabetes diseases,/or-or chronic diseases, and carderotic cardiovascular diseases and/or chronic diseases.

Heart attacks and strokes are among the most common and devastating complications of diabetes. Semaglutide has been a key part of our efforts to reduce heart attacks and strokes in people with diabetes. An oral option to deliver this highly effective therapy is a major advance. “

John Buse, MD, PhD, the Verne S. Caviness Distinguished Professor of Medicine and director of the UNC Diabetes Care Center

The results of the fairly large, international study were published in theNew England Journal of Medicineand presented at the annual scientific session of the American College of Cardiology in Chicago, Illinois.

Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease that affects the ability to control blood sugar levels.

People with the condition need to closely monitor their diet and activity and may need to take medication because their blood sugar is more difficult to manage. Those with type 2 diabetes have a significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease because they may develop high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or both due to uncontrolled blood sugar.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists such as semaglutide have great potential to lower blood sugar, but little is known about whether the oral form of semaglutide actually reduces major cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes.

The Semaglutide Cardiovascular Outcomes Study (Soul) recruited 9,650 people for the study who had pre-existing cardiovascular disease such as coronary artery disease, symptomatic peripheral artery disease, cerebrovascular disease or chronic kidney disease. The study was sponsored and funded by the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, Inc.

Participants were divided into a placebo group (no drugs) and a drug group to determine whether those who took oral semaglutide were more or less likely to experience major cardiac events. Both groups were administered standard glucose-lowering and cardiovascular risk reduction therapies according to local guidelines. Those in the medication group took a once-daily 14 mg dose of oral semaglutide.

Researchers found that oral semaglutide reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events compared to placebo across age and gender. Of all the types of major cardiac events examined in the clinical trial, nonfatal myocardial infarction had the greatest risk reduction.

The impact of oral semaglutide on cardiovascular outcomes was consistent with other clinical trials that included injectable semaglutide. However, more studies are needed to determine whether one method is more effective than the other in reducing major cardiovascular events.

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