Semaglutide for Obesity-Related Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction — Does Sex Matter?

Both men and women derived clinical benefit from semaglutide, although women lost more weight.

In two recent industry-funded trials of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist semaglutide in patients with obesity-related heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), semaglutide improved HFpEF-related symptoms and functioning while reducing obesity and inflammation (NEJM JW Cardiol Aug 25 2023 and N Engl J Med 2023; 389:1069; NEJM JW Cardiol Apr 6 2024 and N Engl J Med 2024; 390:1394). Because heart failure differs in many aspects between men and women — including a higher prevalence of HFpEF among women — the trial investigators conducted a prespecified secondary analysis to examine baseline characteristics of participants and treatment effects by sex.

The trials included patients with symptomatic heart failure (…

Reviewing Author

Karol E. Watson, MD, PhD, FACC

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardBoehringer Ingelheim; Amgen; Novartis; Lilly; Amarin

Speaker’s BureauBoehringer Ingelheim

Grant/Research SupportNIH

Editorial BoardsCirculation (Associate Editor)