New Paper Published: Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring Improves Allocation of the GLP-1 Receptor Agoist Semaglutide
A new paper was published by Chief Science Officer and Director of Cardiovascular Research, Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD, in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC): Cardiovascular Imaging, Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring Improve the GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Semaglutide.
The degree of coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring correlates to major adverse cardiovascular events and can be used to help determine treatment and reduce cardiovascular risk. Besides stricter blood pressure control, standard treatment may include statins, aspirin, icosapent-ethyl, and PCSK-9 inhibitors. Now, GLP-1 receptor agonists semaglutide, originally used to treat diabetes, can be added to the list of pharmacologic agents used to treat individuals with high CAC due to their cardioprotective properties. There are limitations, and future studies are needed to determine if other GLP-1 receptor agonists besides semaglutide or other powerful anti-diabetic drugs will show promise in improving outcomes.