Effect of GLP-1RA on Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy in Type 2 Diabetes

What this study is testing ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07558863 ↗

Description as written by the study sponsor.

This study aims to investigate whether a class of diabetes medications called GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA), specifically semaglutide or polyethylene glycol loxenatide, can improve heart-related nerve damage in people with type 2 diabetes. This heart-related nerve damage is known as diabetic cardiac autonomic neuropathy (DCAN), which can cause problems such as fast resting heart rate, low blood pressure upon standing, and in severe cases, heart attack or sudden death. In this study, 60 adults with type 2 diabetes (ages 18-80) will be randomly divided into two groups. One group will receive standard diabetes care only, while the other group will receive standard care plus a once-weekly injection of either semaglutide or polyethylene glycol loxenatide for 6 months. Participants will undergo tests before and after the treatment period, including blood tests and non-invasive heart function tests (24-hour heart rate variability monitoring and cardiac autonomic reflex tests). The main goal is to see whether GLP-1RA treatment improves heart rate variability, a key sign of heart nerve function. The study also looks at changes in body weight, blood sugar control, and insulin resistance. This research may help determine whether GLP-1RA medications can protect against or improve diabetic heart nerve damage, beyond their known benefits for blood sugar control.

Treatments tested

• GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Drug

  GLP-1 receptor agonists are administered as a once-weekly subcutaneous injection for 6 months. Two specific GLP-1RAs are used in this study: semaglutide at 0.5 mg once weekly, or polyethylene glycol loxenatide at 0.2 mg once weekly. Both are approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and are used within their approved dosing guidelines.