AHA Scientific Sessions 2026 AbstractNov 7, 2026, 02:39 GMT

Semaglutide linked to fewer events in obesity with poor heart pumping

Semaglutide was linked to 40% lower relative risk of major cardiovascular events over 365 days than nonuse in adults with obesity and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Paper by Vikash Jaiswal, Akash Jaiswal, Armeen Ikram, +2Gregg C Fonarow · Endeavor Health · UCLA Med Cntr

Heart cross-sections with kidneys below show fewer gray patches beside a dark molecular chain and more extensive patches on the opposite side.

Our read

Interventions

Studied:: Cohort study of adults with obesity and reduced-ejection-fraction heart failure, 365 days
What changed:: Major cardiovascular event risk was 40% lower with semaglutide than with nonuse
The catch:: Differences in health or care could persist despite matching
In the record:: The 659th paper on semaglutide with results in people; 1,701 on record in all. Its result on major adverse cardiovascular events agrees with 26 of 28 other findings on record; 2 found no change.
Why it’s aging research:: It studies an intervention with evidence of extending healthy life.

Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News

Paper

Adults with obesity and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction—a weakened ability to pump blood—were compared in a matched observational study. Each group included 7,614 people. The groups’ average ages were 61.6 and 62.9 years, and 40.9% of participants were women. One group received semaglutide, a drug used for obesity and type 2 diabetes. The other received no drugs from its class. Researchers matched the groups on demographics, other illnesses, medications and laboratory results.

Over 365 days, semaglutide use was associated with a 40% lower relative risk of major cardiovascular events. It was also linked to a 29% lower relative risk of worsening heart failure and a 32% lower relative risk of hospitalization or emergency department visits. The authors also reported associations with fewer kidney complications and strokes.

Why it matters

Obesity-related heart failure is a potential use for this drug class that the authors said warrants testing in randomized trials.

Caveats

People prescribed semaglutide may have differed in health or care in ways that matching did not capture. The conference abstract gave no absolute event rates or adverse-event results.