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AHA Scientific Sessions 2026 Abstract

Oral semaglutide linked to fewer heart attacks and strokes

Heart attacks occurred in 3.88% of oral semaglutide users versus 4.31% of injectable users over three years in matched medical-record cohorts.

Paper by Jacob Hicks, Eric Santana, Vishrut Thaker, +4 more authorsAmit J Shah · Emory Univ Sch of Medicine

Our read

Interventions
Studied:
Cohort study of adults aged 40-75 years, three years, against injectable semaglutide
What changed:
Heart attacks occurred in 3.88% with oral semaglutide versus 4.31% with injectable semaglutide over three years
The catch:
Differences in treatment adherence and persistence between groups may explain the observed benefit
Why it’s aging research:
It studies an intervention with evidence of extending healthy life.

Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News

Paper
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Adults aged 40–75 who began oral or injectable semaglutide, a diabetes drug, were compared in a retrospective observational study using the Epic Cosmos medical-record database. None had previously used semaglutide or had a heart attack, stroke or heart failure. Researchers matched two groups of 186,129 people on demographics, cardiovascular risk factors and social vulnerability. Their mean age was 59; 54% were women and 62% were White.

Over three years, heart attacks occurred in 3.88% of oral users versus 4.31% of injectable users. Stroke occurred in 3.83% versus 4.49%, and new heart failure diagnoses in 9.92% versus 11.51%, respectively. Oral use was associated with lower risk of all three outcomes. The authors suggested that differences in how consistently people took and continued the medication may have contributed.

Why it matters

For middle-aged and older adults, preventing heart attacks, strokes and heart failure matters for healthy aging. The comparison addresses how two forms of a diabetes drug perform in routine care.

Caveats

Prescriptions were not randomly assigned, so differences in medication adherence or other health factors may have contributed despite matching. The cohorts excluded people outside ages 40–75 and those with previous heart attacks, strokes or heart failure.

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