Semaglutide, a medication initially developed for type 2 diabetes and obesity, significantly improves symptoms in men and women with a common type of heart failure that has had few therapeutic options. Women experienced greater weight loss and the same symptom benefits compared with men, according to research presented today by Dr. Subodh Verma (St.
Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto) at the American Diabetes Association's 2024 Scientific Sessions and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology ( JACC ). This secondary analysis of the STEP-HFpEF (Semaglutide Treatment Effect in People with Obesity and HFpEF) program reveals that semaglutide provides benefits for men and women that do not track directly with weight loss, suggesting the drug may also have weight-loss independent effects on the cardiovascular system. The study (which included two trials) compared semaglutide with a placebo over 52 weeks in 1,145 participants, highlighting intriguing sex differences.
The analysis sought to determine whether phenotypic features and treatment effects of semaglutide vary by sex in obesity-related heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). It evaluated the influence of sex on the disease's baseline characteristics and compared the effects of semaglutide versus placebo on key trial endpoints in the STEP-HFpEF program (comprised of STEP-HFpEF and STEP-HFpEF DM Trials). Understanding the sex differences in obesity-related HFpEF is of great imp.