Semaglutide for the prevention of atrial fibrillation: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, is reported to have cardiac benefits, but its effects on preventing atrial fibrillation (AF) remain inconclusive. This study aimed to investigate whether semaglutide can prevent AF occurrence in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), obesity, or overweight.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane CENTRAL database, and clinicaltrials.gov from inception to December 29, 2023. Randomized controlled trials of semaglutide in patients with T2DM, obesity, or overweight were included. The primary outcome was AF occurrence. Relative risks (RRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for the overall population and subgroups.

Results

Twenty-one trials comprising 25957 patients were included. In the overall pooled analysis, semaglutide decreased AF occurrence compared to control drugs (RR 0.70, 95 % CI 0.52–0.95). This result was consistent in trials using other antihyperglycemic medications as controls (RR 0.43, 95 % CI 0.21–0.89), but not in placebo-controlled trials (RR 0.77, 95 % CI 0.56–1.07). The outcome was favorable for patients with T2DM (RR 0.71, 95 % CI 0.52–0.97), but not for patients with overweight or obesity (RR 0.56, 95 % CI 0.18–1.73). Results varied by type of semaglutide, with oral semaglutide showing an RR of 0.49 (95 % CI 0.25–0.97) and subcutaneous semaglutide showing an RR of 0.77 (95 % CI 0.55–1.07).

Conclusion

Semaglutide was associated with a reduced risk of AF occurrence in the overall analysis. Favorable outcomes were observed in subsets using other antihyperglycemic medications as controls, in patients with T2DM, and with oral semaglutide.