Oral Semaglutide Shows Lasting Benefits for Heart Health Risk Factors

Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) face a significantly elevated risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), which remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide have demonstrated efficacy in improving glycemic control and reducing cardiovascular events. However, there has been a critical need to understand the long-term efficacy of oral semaglutide in sustaining these reductions in CVD risk factors in a real-world, diverse patient population.

After 5 years, the oral semaglutide group demonstrated significantly superior and sustained reductions across multiple CVD risk factors compared to placebo. The mean HbA1c decreased by 1.5% from baseline in the oral semaglutide group versus 0.3% in the placebo group (p<0.001). Participants on oral semaglutide achieved an average body weight loss of 15.2% (mean -14.5 kg) compared to 2.1% (mean -2.0 kg) in the placebo group (p<0.001). Systolic blood pressure saw a mean reduction of 8.4 mmHg with oral semaglutide versus 2.1 mmHg with placebo (p<0.001). The most significant finding was a 26% reduction in the composite endpoint of MACE (non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, or cardiovascular death) in the oral semaglutide group compared to placebo (Hazard Ratio 0.74; 95% CI 0.66-0.83; p<0.001). Furthermore, LDL-cholesterol was reduced by 12% and triglycerides by 18% in the treatment arm.