New study finds that Ozempic led to improvement in debilitating symptoms and improved functional capacity in people with peripheral artery disease and diabetes
Dr. Subodh Verma
Results from a new clinical trial co-led by St. Michael’s Hospital’s Cardiovascular Surgeon Dr. Subodh Verma shows evidence of the benefits of semaglutide – commonly known as Ozempic — to treat peripheral artery disease in people living with diabetes.
The STRIDE trial results were presented at the American College of Cardiology Annual Meeting on March 29 as a late breaking clinical trial, and published simultaneously in The Lancet.
“These data usher in a new day for patients with peripheral artery disease and diabetes – a stubborn and highly debilitating disease for which we have no current therapies,” said Verma, cardiac surgeon-scientist at St. Michael’s and a Canada Research Chair in cardiac surgery.
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a condition in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the arms or legs. It is one of the most common and serious complications of diabetes and is a leading cause of disability and amputation. PAD impacts more than 230 million people globally, and there are currently no available medical treatments that can prevent or delay the complications of PAD in diabetes. Patients affected by the disorder are limited in their ability to function and walk without pain.
Patients with progressive PAD may require serious interventions, including the need for revascularization surgery – where surgeons use interventions to improve blood supply to the legs. In serious cases, limb amputation may be required. Data from Ontario (ICES) suggest that over the last decade amputations due to PAD have increased. There is an urgent and unmet need to find solutions for these high risk and vulnerable patients.
“Amputation, is one the most feared complications of diabetes, and is 10-20 times more common than in people without diabetes,” said Dr. Lawrence Leiter, an endocrinologist at St. Michael’s and Professor of Medicine and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto. “The fact that semaglutide, a drug already widely used in persons living with diabetes, has now been shown to have beneficial effects on PAD, in addition to its already known benefits on cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, blood sugar control and body weight, is indeed good news.”
The STRIDE trial studied 792 patients across the globe with PAD and diabetes who were treated with the common weight loss medication Ozempic (semaglutide) or placebo. The trial found that treatment with Ozempic led to a significant improvement in patients’ symptoms and functional capacity. Specifically, compared to placebo:
Those taking semaglutide showed a marked improvement in mean walking distance and pain-free walking distance at 52 weeks after starting treatment.
Semaglutide-treated patients showed an improvement in a broad array of quality-of-life measures.
Semaglutide was associated with an improvement in ankle-brachial indices – a test that compares the blood pressure in the ankle with the blood pressure in the arm—suggesting a disease-modifying benefit.
Semaglutide was associated with a reduced rate of the composite rescue revascularization therapies or death.
The prevalence of PAD is increasing due to aging demographic and increased rates of diabetes. People with PAD have an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and major adverse limb events (MALE) including amputation; however, the earliest, most common, and most disabling manifestation is functional decline and disability.
As the disease progresses, individuals may progress to requiring lower limb revascularization procedures due to severe limitations or to prevent tissue loss, often suffering a subsequent high rate of recurrent procedures and complications. PAD imposes considerable burden on health care costs globally.
There are no available therapies in Canada to specifically improve symptoms, quality of life and complications of PAD.
*Dr. Subodh Verma discloses receiving research and consulting fees from Novo Nordisk who sponsored the STRIDE trial.
*Dr. Lawrence Leiter has received consulting fees from various diabetes companies including Novo Nordisk, the sponsor of the STRIDE study, but was not involved in the STRIDE trial.
Media inquiries: Communications@unityhealth.to
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