A Pilot Clinical Trial Investigating Underlying Mechanisms of Semaglutide Therapy in Heart Failure Patients

Summary

Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, primarily used for treatment of type-2 diabetes mellitus. GLP-1 receptors are present on pancreatic islet β-cells, δ-cells and α-cells. Their stimulation increases insulin and somatostatin secretion, and decreases glucagon secretion. In addition, GLP-1 receptor agonists appear to have multiple extrapancreatic actions, which remain poorly defined. In large clinical trials, semaglutide improved the outcomes in obese patients, patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, and decreased the heart failure hospitalizations in patients with type 2 diabetes. The aim of the present study is to investigate the underlying mechanisms of the beneficial clinical effects of semaglutide in the setting of chronic heart failure.

Eligibility

Age range

20–80 years

Sex

All

Healthy volunteers

No

Interventions

• Drug
  Semaglutide

  10 overweight patients with heart failure will be enrolled, including 5 patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and 5 patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The diagnosis of HFpEF and HFrEF will be based on the most recent European Society of Cardiology guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure. After their baseline blood sample collections, all participants will receive once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide (Ozempyc, Novo Nordisk A/S Bagsvaerd, Denmark) at a dose of 0.25 mg for 2 weeks, 0.5 mg for 2 weeks, and then 1.0 mg for a period of 12 weeks. At the end of the 3-month and 4-month period, blood sample collections will be repeated. All blood samples will be sent to Stanford Cardiovascular Institute for further analyses. At baseline, and again at 4 months transthoracic echocardiography, 6-minute walk test, and body composition assessment will be performed.

Locations (3)