Effects of semaglutide and empagliflozin on oxygenation, vascular autoregulation, and central thickness of the retina in people with type 2 diabetes: A prespecified secondary analysis of a randomised clinical trial

Gullaksen, Søren; Vernstrøm, Liv; Sørensen, Steffen S; Funck, Kristian Løkke; Petersen, Line; Bek, Toke; Poulsen, Per Løgstrup; Laugesen, Esben

doi:10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2023.108472

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…The results on kidney oxygenation have been published previously, including details of the study design. 26,27 Briefly, the trial consisted of two parallel designs (Figure 1), i. period with semaglutide treatment was primarily spent on dose escalation. Patients were randomized in a 1:1:1:1 ratio using blocks of eight.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Separate and combined effects of empagliflozin and semaglutide on vascular function: A 32‐week randomized trial

Vernstrøm,

Gullaksen,

Sørensen

et al. 2024

Diabetes Obesity Metabolism

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AimDespite the increasing use of combination treatment with sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors and glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists, data are limited on the effects of combination treatment on markers of cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to investigate the effect of empagliflozin, semaglutide, and their combination on vascular function.Materials and MethodsIn total, 120 patients with type 2 diabetes were randomized into four groups (n = 30 in each) for 32 weeks: placebo, semaglutide, empagliflozin, and their combination. The study had two co‐primary outcomes: change in arterial stiffness and kidney oxygenation. This paper reports on arterial stiffness assessed as carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity. Secondary outcomes included 24‐h blood pressure (BP), 24‐h central BP, urinary albumin to creatinine ratio and glycaemic control assessed by both continuous glucose monitoring and glycated haemoglobin.ResultsThe carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity did not change significantly in any of the groups compared with placebo. Twenty‐four‐hour systolic BP was reduced by 10 mmHg (95% CI 6–14), p < .001 in the combination group, significantly superior to both placebo and monotherapy (p < .05). Combination treatment increased glycaemic time in range from 72% at baseline to 91% at week 32, p < .001, without increasing time below range. The urinary albumin to creatinine ratio decreased by 36% (95% CI 4–57), p = .03 in the combination group compared with placebo.ConclusionsEmpagliflozin, semaglutide, or their combination did not reduce arterial stiffness. Combination treatment showed a substantial and clinically important reduction in 24‐h systolic BP compared with either treatment alone. Combination treatment increased glycaemic time in range without increasing the risk of hypoglycaemia.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Separate and combined effects of empagliflozin and semaglutide on vascular function: A 32‐week randomized trial

Vernstrøm,

Gullaksen,

Sørensen

et al. 2024

Diabetes Obesity Metabolism

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Effects of semaglutide, empagliflozin and their combination on renal diffusion-weighted MRI and total kidney volume in patients with type 2 diabetes: a post hoc analysis from a 32 week randomised trial

Vernstrøm,

Gullaksen,

Sørensen

et al. 2024

Diabetologia

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Aims/hypothesis The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) derived from diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI-MRI) has been proposed as a measure of changes in kidney microstructure, including kidney fibrosis. In advanced kidney disease, the kidneys often become atrophic; however, in the initial phase of type 2 diabetes, there is an increase in renal size. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors both provide protection against progression of kidney disease in diabetes. However, the mechanisms are incompletely understood. To explore this, we examined the effects of semaglutide, empagliflozin and their combination on renal ADC and total kidney volume (TKV). Methods This was a substudy of a randomised clinical trial on the effects of semaglutide and empagliflozin alone or in combination. Eighty patients with type 2 diabetes and high risk of CVD were randomised into four groups (n=20 in each) receiving either tablet placebo, empagliflozin, a combination of semaglutide and tablet placebo (herein referred to as the ‘semaglutide’ group), or the combination of semaglutide and empagliflozin (referred to as the ‘combination-therapy’ group). The semaglutide and the combination-therapy group had semaglutide treatment for 16 weeks and then had either tablet placebo or empagliflozin added to the treatment, respectively, for a further 16 weeks; the placebo and empagliflozin groups were treated with the respective monotherapy for 32 weeks. We analysed the effects of treatment on changes in ADC (cortical, medullary and the cortico–medullary difference [ΔADC; medullary ADC subtracted from cortical ADC]), as well as TKV measured by MRI. Results Both semaglutide and empagliflozin decreased cortical ADC significantly compared with placebo (semaglutide: −0.20×10−3 mm2/s [95% CI −0.30, −0.10], p<0.001; empagliflozin: −0.15×10−3 mm2/s [95% CI −0.26, −0.04], p=0.01). No significant change was observed in the combination-therapy group (−0.05×10−3 mm2/s [95%CI −0.15, 0.05]; p=0.29 vs placebo). The changes in cortical ADC were not associated with changes in GFR, albuminuria, TKV or markers of inflammation. Further, there were no changes in medullary ADC in any of the groups compared with placebo. Only treatment with semaglutide changed ΔADC significantly from placebo, showing a decrease of −0.13×10−3 mm2/s (95% CI −0.22, −0.04; p=0.01). Compared with placebo, TKV decreased by −3% (95% CI −5%, −0.3%; p=0.04), −3% (95% CI −5%, −0.4%; p=0.02) and −5% (95% CI −8%, −2%; p<0.001) in the semaglutide, empagliflozin and combination-therapy group, respectively. The changes in TKV were associated with changes in GFR, albuminuria and HbA1c. Conclusions/interpretation In a population with type 2 diabetes and high risk of CVD, semaglutide and empagliflozin significantly reduced cortical ADC compared with placebo, indicating microstructural changes in the kidneys. These changes were not associated with changes in GFR, albuminuria or inflammation. Further, we found a decrease in TKV in all active treatment groups, which was possibly mediated by a reduction in hyperfiltration. Our findings suggest that DWI-MRI may serve as a promising tool for investigating the underlying mechanisms of medical interventions in individuals with type 2 diabetes but may reflect effects not related to fibrosis. Trial registration European Union Drug Regulating Authorities Clinical Trials Database (EudraCT) 2019-000781-38 Graphical Abstract

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GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors: The need to shed light on their safety risks real dimension and possible mechanisms

Gómez-Peralta

Abreu

Rizzo

2023

Journal of Diabetes and its Complications

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Effects of semaglutide and empagliflozin on oxygenation, vascular autoregulation, and central thickness of the retina in people with type 2 diabetes: A prespecified secondary analysis of a randomised clinical trial

Cited by 3 publications

References 34 publications

Separate and combined effects of empagliflozin and semaglutide on vascular function: A 32‐week randomized trial

Separate and combined effects of empagliflozin and semaglutide on vascular function: A 32‐week randomized trial

Effects of semaglutide, empagliflozin and their combination on renal diffusion-weighted MRI and total kidney volume in patients with type 2 diabetes: a post hoc analysis from a 32 week randomised trial

GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors: The need to shed light on their safety risks real dimension and possible mechanisms

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