Type 2 diabetes is a long-term condition that affects how the body controls blood sugar. Over time, high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and organs, especially the heart and kidneys.
Many people with type 2 diabetes also develop heart disease, and one of the most serious problems is heart failure.
Heart failure does not mean the heart stops working, but that it becomes too weak or stiff to pump blood properly. This can lead to tiredness, shortness of breath, swelling in the legs, and frequent hospital visits. It is a major cause of illness and death worldwide.
A new international study has found encouraging news for people living with both diabetes and heart failure. Researchers discovered that an oral form of semaglutide, a medicine already widely used to treat diabetes, can reduce the risk of serious heart failure events.
Unlike some versions of the drug that are given by injection, this form is taken as a daily pill, making it easier for many patients to use.
The study followed nearly 9,650 adults who had type 2 diabetes along with heart disease or chronic kidney disease.
Many participants already had heart failure when the study began. Researchers tracked their health for almost four years. Some people took the semaglutide pill, while others received a placebo, a pill with no active medicine, so the results could be compared fairly.
Among participants who already had heart failure, those taking semaglutide were about 22 percent less likely to be hospitalized for heart failure, need urgent medical care for worsening symptoms, or die from heart-related causes. This is a meaningful reduction because heart failure often leads to repeated hospital stays and declining health.
The benefit was strongest in people with a type of heart failure called heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, or HFpEF. In this condition, the heart’s pumping strength appears normal, but the heart muscle is stiff and cannot relax properly between beats.
HFpEF is common in people with diabetes and obesity and is difficult to treat. Few medications have shown clear benefits for this group, so the new findings offer hope.
For participants who did not have heart failure at the start of the study, the drug did not significantly reduce new heart failure events. This suggests the treatment may be especially helpful for people already living with the condition rather than preventing it from developing.
Semaglutide belongs to a group of medicines called GLP-1 receptor agonists. These drugs help control blood sugar by increasing insulin release, reducing appetite, and slowing the movement of food through the stomach.
Many patients also lose weight while taking them, which can further reduce strain on the heart. Earlier studies showed that similar drugs can lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes, but fewer had proven benefits for heart failure itself.
The researchers also found that the oral form of semaglutide was safe for people with both diabetes and heart failure. This is important because some doctors had concerns that certain diabetes drugs might worsen heart problems.
A pill that can improve blood sugar, help with weight, and protect the heart could simplify treatment for patients who often take many medications.
Heart failure is especially common in people with type 2 diabetes because high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and obesity place extra strain on the heart over time. As more people around the world develop diabetes, the number of heart failure cases is also rising. Treatments that address both conditions at once could have a large impact on public health.
Although the heart failure results were not the main focus of the original trial, they add to growing evidence that some diabetes medicines provide benefits beyond blood sugar control. Researchers hope future studies will confirm these findings and help doctors decide which patients are most likely to benefit.
For now, the study offers hope to people managing both diabetes and heart failure. A simple daily pill could help reduce serious complications, keep patients out of the hospital, and improve quality of life.
As science continues to uncover connections between metabolic health and heart disease, treatments like this may become key tools in caring for people with complex long-term conditions.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about how eating eggs can help reduce heart disease risk, and herbal supplements could harm your heart rhythm.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how drinking milk affects risks of heart disease and cancer, and results showing strawberries could help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
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