A new international study has found that semaglutide, a medicine already used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity, may help people walk better and feel less pain if they have a condition called peripheral artery disease, or PAD.
The results offer new hope for millions of people who struggle with walking due to poor blood flow in their legs.
Peripheral artery disease is a common but often overlooked condition. It affects more than 200 million people worldwide. It happens when fatty deposits build up inside the arteries that carry blood to the legs.
This reduces blood flow, especially during movement. As a result, many people feel pain, tightness, or cramping in their legs when they walk. Some people have to stop walking after only a short distance because the pain becomes too strong.
PAD is not just about walking problems. It can also lead to serious health risks. In severe cases, poor blood flow can cause wounds that do not heal. This may lead to infections, limb amputation, and even death.
Despite how serious PAD can be, treatment options are still very limited. The main drug used to improve walking ability has side effects and cannot be used safely by some patients, especially those with heart problems.
The new study, called the STRIDE trial, was designed to test whether semaglutide could help people with PAD. The findings were published in the medical journal The Lancet. This is the first large study to test this type of diabetes drug for PAD.
Semaglutide belongs to a group of medicines that help control blood sugar and reduce appetite. It has also become popular for weight loss. However, researchers wanted to see if it could also improve blood flow and reduce symptoms in people with PAD.
The study included 792 adults who had both type 2 diabetes and early-stage PAD. The participants came from 112 medical centers across 20 countries. Their average age was 67. They were randomly divided into two groups. One group received semaglutide once a week, while the other group received a placebo.
The researchers followed the participants for one year. They measured how far each person could walk on a treadmill before feeling pain. At the start of the study, most participants could only walk about 186 meters, which is a very short distance.
By the end of the study, people who took semaglutide were able to walk farther. On average, they improved their walking distance by about 40 meters.
This may seem small, but for people with PAD, even a small increase can make daily life much easier. It can mean being able to walk to the shop, move around the house, or enjoy outdoor activities with less discomfort.
The benefits were not limited to walking distance. Many participants reported less leg pain and a better quality of life. They found it easier to move and felt more confident in their daily activities. These improvements were still seen even after stopping the medicine for several weeks.
The study also showed that blood flow in the legs improved. This was measured using a common test that compares blood pressure in the ankle and arm. Better blood flow suggests that the medicine may be helping the blood vessels work more effectively.
Another important finding was that people taking semaglutide were less likely to need urgent medical treatment for worsening PAD. Fewer people needed procedures to open blocked arteries, and fewer died from related complications compared to those who took the placebo.
Researchers believe that semaglutide may have benefits beyond weight loss. Although some weight loss was seen, it was not large enough to explain all the improvements. This suggests that the medicine may directly help the blood vessels and improve circulation.
However, there are still some questions. All participants in this study had type 2 diabetes, so it is not yet clear if the same benefits would apply to people with PAD who do not have diabetes. The study group also did not include a wide range of ethnic backgrounds, which means more research is needed.
Even with these limits, the results are very encouraging. For the first time in many years, there may be a new treatment that can help people with PAD walk farther, feel less pain, and live better lives.
This study shows that a medicine originally designed for diabetes may also help with other serious health problems. For people living with PAD, this could be an important step toward better health and greater independence.
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