Millions more people with overweight could benefit from GLP-1 drugs to protect heart health, study suggests
New research being presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy, Sept. 28–Oct. 2, makes a case for extending the indication for GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs) to millions more people to protect their heart health.
A study presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Milan suggests that millions more overweight individuals could benefit from GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs (GLP1-RAs) to protect their heart health. Currently, these drugs are approved for weight loss in adults with a BMI of 30 or higher or a BMI of 27 plus a weight-related health condition.
However, a Danish analysis of data from the U.K. and Denmark found that approximately half of people in the overweight range (BMI 25-26.9) have elevated remnant cholesterol and/or low-grade inflammation, which increases their risk of heart disease. These participants were not previously eligible for GLP-1 RAs but had a similar risk of coronary heart disease as those eligible for the drugs.
The study suggests extending the indication for GLP-1 RAs to this group, as clinical trials are needed to confirm whether treatment would reduce their risk.
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