CONGRESS ABSTRACT

Background: Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA), has demonstrated efficacy in reducing the risk of adverse cardiovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who are at high cardiovascular risk or have established cardiovascular disease. Aim: This analysis aims to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of semaglutide in T2DM patients by comparing mean serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels between those treated with semaglutide and those receiving a placebo. Methods: In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a search of Medline, Embase, and Scopus to identify all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published up to June 2024. These studies enrolled T2DM patients and compared serum CRP levels between those receiving semaglutide and those receiving placebo. The difference in CRP serum levels was expressed as the standardized mean difference (SMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI), utilizing a random-effects model. Results: A total of fifteen RCTs involving 25,201 patients were included in the analysis, with 13,104 in the semaglutide group and 12,097 in the placebo group. Semaglutide treatment was associated with significantly lower CRP serum levels compared to placebo (SMD -0.56; 95% CI -0.69 to -0.43, I² = 52%; Egger's test p = 0.32) (Figure 1). A multivariate meta-regression analysis revealed a positive correlation with age (p = 0.02) and body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.001) as moderators. Conclusion: Semaglutide exhibits significant anti-inflammatory effects in T2DM patients when compared to placebo. These anti-inflammatory properties may contribute to its pharmacological mechanisms that reduce cardiovascular events in this patient population.