The effect of semaglutide on blood pressure in patients with type-2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective To evaluate the blood pressure (BP) lowering ability of semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA), in individuals with type-2 diabetes (T2D). Methods Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing subcutaneous or oral semaglutide with placebo or other antihyperglycemic agents (AHAs) in T2D patients were identified by searching PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov and Cochrane Library. These screened studies included the outcomes of interest: systolic and/or diastolic BP. Weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were used to present the meta-analysis results. Pooled and sensitivity analyses were performed, and the risk of bias was evaluated. Results Twenty-nine RCTs with a total of 26985 participants were recruited in the final analysis. The WMD in change from baseline in systolic BP (SBP) of semaglutide versus placebo or other AHAs was −2.31 mmHg (95% CI: −3.11 to −1.51), while that for diastolic BP (DBP) was 0.09 mmHg (95% CI: −0.16 to 0.33). It also reduced glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) by 0.75% (95% CI: −0.92 to −0.58) and body weight loss by 2.80 kg (95% CI: −3.51 to −2.08). The reduction in SBP was similar for subcutaneous and oral administration of semaglutide, with −2.36 (95% CI: −3.38 to −1.35) and −2.50 (95% CI: −3.48 to −1.53), respectively. Conclusions In T2D, SBP decreased significantly in the semaglutide group compared with placebo or other active controls. According to the efficacy results from this meta-analysis, subcutaneous and oral semaglutide have similar SBP-reducing effects. Therefore, the treatment of T2D patients with subcutaneous semaglutide or oral preparations is beneficial for reducing SBP.