UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Study finds weight-loss jabs semaglutide and tirzepatide reduce hospital admissions in HFpEF heart failure patients by over 40%.
As reported by The Independent, research suggests diabetes and weight-loss drugs semaglutide and tirzepatide could lower hospital risk for heart failure patients.
How did Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro cut hospital risk in heart patients?
Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro are the commonly used weight-loss jabs. Researchers examined semaglutide and tirzepatide against sitagliptin. The study involved people with type 2 diabetes and HFpEF.
HFpEF is a type of heart failure where the heart muscle cannot relax properly to fill with blood, even though its pumping function remains normal. Around half of the one million heart failure patients in Britain have HFpEF.
The study reviewed US patient data collected between 2018 and 2024. The analysis included 58,333 patients taking semaglutide versus sitagliptin. Another 11,257 patients were on tirzepatide versus sitagliptin.
The drugs semaglutide and tirzepatide are GLP-1 agonists, which lower blood sugar, slow digestion, and curb appetite.
Mounjaro is used in the NHS for type 2 diabetes and weight loss. Semaglutide is available as injections called Ozempic and Wegovy, while Rybelsus is a pill.
NHS patients can take Ozempic and Rybelsus for type 2 diabetes, while Wegovy helps manage obesity.
Semaglutide and tirzepatide lowered the chance of HFpEF patients being hospitalised or dying by over 40%, a study shows.
Semaglutide reduced risk by 42%, while tirzepatide lowered it by 58% compared with sitagliptin.
American Medical Association’s views on semaglutide and tirzepatide
American Medical Association, researchers stated,
“These findings complement early results from small clinical trials and support the use of semaglutide and tirzepatide in patients with cardiometabolic heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.”
What did Dr Krüger say about semaglutide and tirzepatide’s heart benefits?
Dr Nils Krüger, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the study author, said,
“Despite the widespread morbidity and mortality burden of HFpEF, current treatment options are limited.”
He stated,
“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.”
Mr Krüger added,
“Our findings show that in the future, GLP-1 targeting medications could provide a much-needed treatment option for patients with heart failure.”
What did Dr Aguiar say about semaglutide and tirzepatide’s impact on heart failure?
Dr Carlos Aguiar, ESC vice-president and heart failure expert, praised the study’s findings.
He said,
“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.”
Mr Aguiar added,
“We thought that we actually might not really find a treatment that would work well for a significant proportion of these patients, and what’s been a good surprise is that these drugs that are working through weight loss, but possibly through other effects that go beyond weight loss, are potentially reducing the rates of hospitalisation and mortality in patients with heart failure.”
What did Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan say about weight loss drugs and heart failure?
Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, a consultant cardiologist and clinical director of the British Heart Foundation, stated,
“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 added,
“It’s crucial that eligible heart failure patients have the opportunity to be considered for these therapies, alongside other evidence-based heart failure medicines.”
What did experts find in the tirzepatide vs semaglutide comparison?
Experts conducted a head-to-head study of tirzepatide and semaglutide with 28,100 patients.
Researchers found that tirzepatide “showed no meaningful benefit” compared with semaglutide. The European Society of Cardiology Congress in Madrid will host the study’s presentation.
A May study revealed that semaglutide users faced a 20% lower risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death. The University College London research found that semaglutide improved heart health, regardless of starting weight or amount of weight lost.
Key facts about heart patients in the UK
Over 7.6 million people in the UK have heart problems, with more men affected than women. Around 175,000 die each year, including 49,000 under 75, with higher rates in poorer areas.
Women and minorities are more likely to be misdiagnosed or receive delayed treatment.
Rising obesity, diabetes, and NHS waiting times are making the situation worse.