Medications used for weight management can halve the likelihood of hospital admissions and premature death among cardiac patients.
The brand-new findings, unveiled at Europe's premier cardiology gathering in Madrid, indicate that GLP-1 agonist medications could benefit millions suffering from cardiac conditions, enabling them to avoid hospitalisation and extend their lives.
This major investigation examined outcomes for over 90,000 individuals diagnosed with heart failure who also had obesity and type 2 diabetes, making it the largest study of its kind.
The medications studied, including semaglutide and tirzepatide, showed remarkable effectiveness in preventing severe health complications and reducing mortality from all causes.
Tirzepatide and semaglutide were just two of the drugs examined
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The research, conducted by specialists from Mass General Brigham in Boston, focused on patients diagnosed with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, which represents the most prevalent variant of this cardiac condition.
Published in JAMA, the American Medical Association's journal, analysis of the data revealed that individuals receiving semaglutide experienced a 42 per cent reduction in their likelihood of requiring hospital care or experiencing premature death when measured against a control group.
Meanwhile, the results for tirzepatide were even more impressive, demonstrating a 58 per cent decrease in the combined risk of heart failure-related hospitalisation or death from any cause.
Study author Dr Nils Krüger from Brigham and Women's Hospital said: "Despite the widespread morbidity and mortality burden of HFpEF, current treatment options are limited."
He added: "Both semaglutide and tirzepatide are well-known for their effects on weight loss and blood sugar control, but our study suggests they may also offer substantial benefits to patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes by reducing adverse heart failure outcomes."
Dr Carlos Aguiar, the European Society of Cardiology's vice-president, was hopeful about what the findings mean for the future of medicine.
"What this shows is that there is a benefit in using one of these two agents, semaglutide or tirzepatide, to reduce the risk of hospitalisation for heart failure or all-cause mortality," he said.
Heart failure currently affects more than 60 million individuals across the globe.
The latest evidence has indicated that these drugs have a multitude of health benefits beyond weight loss
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The medications function by replicating the GLP-1 hormone, which suppresses your appetite, and were originally created for diabetes management.
The latest evidence has indicated that these drugs have a multitude of health benefits beyond weight control, relieving pressure on hospitals and slashing wait lists.
Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan from the British Heart Foundation said: "These data add to the growing body of evidence supporting a role for weight loss drugs for patients living with both heart failure and obesity, to reduce hospital admissions and death."
She urged that qualified cardiac patients receive consideration for these treatments alongside established heart failure medications.