Semaglutide and the risk of major heart and brain blood vessel problems in people with type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis

Semaglutide initiation was associated with a lower risk of incident major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in obese adults with type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

• The incidence of MACCE was 12.7% in semaglutide users compared to 16.5% in those using non-GLP-1 receptor agonist therapies.
• Semaglutide was linked to a significantly lower risk of heart failure (HF) at 8.9% versus 12.5%.
• Initiation of semaglutide was associated with a reduction in the escalation of disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), with rates of 16.6% for semaglutide users and 21.6% for non-GLP-1RA users.
• No significant differences were noted in all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, or stroke between the two groups.
• The findings are based on a matched cohort of 1,017 patients initiating semaglutide and 1,017 patients initiating non-GLP-1RAs.

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