Via practica 4/2022

Antiatherogenic effect and cardiovascular benefit of GLP-1 receptor´s agonists

Obesity is now becoming the most important risk factor (RF) for cardiovascular (CV) diseases throughout the population level. It directly leads to the onset and development of CV diseases and increases cardiovascular mortality independently of other RFs. GLP-1 receptor agonists elegantly interfere with physiological mechanisms regulating food intake. Specifically, liraglutide regulates appetite by increasing feelings of satiety and fullness while reducing feelings of hunger and the desire to consume additional food. In addition, it reduces the risk of diabetes development and has antiatherogenic effects. The SCALE Obesity and Pre-diabetes Study demonstrated a 9.2 % average decrease in body weight compared to the baseline value after 56 weeks of treatment, while the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus was reduced by 80 % over a 3-year period. Significant weight loss leads to reduced risk of hypertension, arrhythmias (including atrial fibrillation), coronary artery disease, and heart failure. In the case of already-developed CV diseases, weight reduction will allow a reduction in the extent of pharmacotherapy and hospitalization, and it will bring improvement to the patient’s quality of life and prognosis. In the LEADER study, liraglutide significantly reduced the incidence of major adverse cardiovascular episodes by 13 %, HR 0.87 (p = 0.005). GLP-1 receptor agonists reduce CV episodes, including the risk of hospitalization for heart failure, not only in patients with clinical CV disease, but also in patients with increased CV risk without clinically apparent CV disease.

Keywords: obesity and cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular effect of liraglutide, GLP-1 receptor agonists