Oral Semaglutide (GLP-1) may reduce heart attack, stroke risk in diabetes patients

In brief ...

• 💊 A new international clinical trial found that oral semaglutide reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events by 14% in people with type 2 diabetes and heart or kidney disease.

• ❤️ The once-daily pill targets a vulnerable population prone to heart attacks, strokes, and related complications, showing similar benefits to its injectable counterpart.

• 🧬 The findings, presented at the American College of Cardiology’s annual meeting, highlight a major step forward in accessible diabetes and heart disease care.

Details

A new clinical trial led by researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine has revealed that the oral form of semaglutide (GLP-1) significantly reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes in people with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease.

“Heart attacks and strokes are among the most common and devastating complications of diabetes,” said co-lead investigator Dr. John Buse, Director of the UNC Diabetes Care Center. “Semaglutide has been a mainstay of our efforts to reduce these outcomes. Having an oral option is a big advance.”

9,650 participants

The trial, known as the SOUL study, enrolled 9,650 participants from around the world. All had pre-existing cardiovascular conditions or chronic kidney disease, and were already receiving standard treatments to manage blood sugar and reduce heart risk. Half received a placebo, while the other half took a 14mg oral dose of semaglutide daily.

Published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session, the findings show that patients taking oral semaglutide were 14% less likely to experience major cardiovascular events, with the biggest reduction seen in nonfatal heart attacks.

Semaglutide, available in both injectable and oral forms, has drawn recent attention not only for its blood sugar-lowering power, but also for weight loss and even reduction in alcohol cravings. Its cardiovascular benefits have previously been confirmed in injectable form, but this is the first large-scale confirmation that the oral version delivers similar heart protection.

“This reinforces the idea that GLP-1 medications don’t just help with blood sugar and weight,” said Dr. Matthew Cavender, co-lead investigator and interventional cardiologist at UNC. “They could truly reshape how we manage cardiovascular risk in diabetes.”

The trial was sponsored by Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical company that manufactures semaglutide under brand names like Ozempic and Rybelsus.

While the results are promising, researchers note that further studies will help clarify whether the oral or injectable form is more effective — and which patients might benefit most from each.