Trial results for Liraglutide in patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Coronary Artery Disease were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2025-07-08. The study observed a mean epicardial fat thickness of 11.8 mm in the liraglutide group compared to 10 mm in the control group.
Background
Liraglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1A) indicated for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes and, at a higher dose, for chronic weight management. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is the visceral fat of the heart, known to play a role in the development of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) through the local secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. EAT is enriched with genes involved in inflammation and serves as a target for medications.
Trial design
The study (NCT03260881), titled "Liraglutide Effects on Epicardial Fat Inflammatory Genes," was a Phase 4 trial that enrolled 38 participants. It investigated the effects of liraglutide in individuals with Type 2 Diabetes and Coronary Artery Disease. Participants received either a liraglutide pen injector or matching liraglutide-placebo pre-filled pens.
Key results
The trial investigated several outcomes related to epicardial fat. For "EAT Inflammation," measured in cycle thresholds (ct), the results for the Study Group versus Control Group were:
- Median 0.70 ct (SD: 0.60) vs. median 1.4 ct (SD: 2.3).
- Median 0.39 ct (SD: 0.42) vs. median 0.25 ct (SD: 0.43).
- Median 0.32 ct (SD: 0.42) vs. median 0.25 ct (SD: 0.43).
- Median 0.8 ct (SD: 0.16) vs. median 0.5 ct (SD: 0.14).
- Median 0.57 ct (SD: 0.14) vs. median 0.12 ct (SD: 0.05).
Regarding "EAT Thickness," measured in millimeters (mm):
- The Study Group had a mean thickness of 11.8 mm (SD: 2.1).
- The Control Group had a mean thickness of 10 mm (SD: 2).
What this means
The results of this Phase 4 trial provide insights into the effects of liraglutide on epicardial fat in patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Coronary Artery Disease. While several measurements of "EAT Inflammation" showed varied median values between the study and control groups, the "EAT Thickness" outcome indicated a numerically higher mean thickness in the liraglutide group compared to the control group. These findings contribute to the understanding of liraglutide's effects on cardiac adipose tissue, an area of interest due to its role in cardiovascular disease.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for study NCT03260881, titled "Liraglutide Effects on Epicardial Fat Inflammatory Genes," were posted on 2025-07-08 on clinicaltrials.gov.