GLP-1s have solidified their place in healthcare as a tool in weight management and, subsequently, the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
The rapidly evolving class of drugs is having a significant impact on cardiovascular service lines, outpatient facilities and other stakeholders the cardiovascular specialty.
Here are five things to know about how the widespread use of GLP-1s is impacting cardiovascular care in 2026:
1. Both semaglutide and tirzepatide — the active ingredients in Ozempic and Wegovy, and Mounjaro and Zepbound, respectively — have been shown to “significantly reduce” the risk of hospitalization and all-cause mortality for heart failure patients, according to a study published Aug. 31, 2025 in JAMA.
“By using nationwide data and an innovative methodological approach, our team was able to expand the findings of previous trials to larger populations more representative of [heart failure with preserved ejection fraction] patients treated in clinical practice,” Nils Krüger, MD, corresponding study author, said in a news release covering the study. “Our findings show that in the future, GLP-1 targeting medications could provide a much-needed treatment option for patients with heart failure.”
2. Research findings published in 2024 in the American Journal of Managed Care suggested that semaglutide can reduce annual healthcare costs by $7,502 for patients with overweight or obesity conditions, and by $9,276 for patients with heart failure or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
3. With artery bypass grafting volumes projected to decline 17%, GLP-1s could significantly affect cardiovascular care. Four GLP-1 medications — Ozempic, Trulicity, Victoza and Wegovy — are approved to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with cardiovascular disease.
4. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found stopping GLP-1 medications is linked to a 22% increase in heart attack, stroke and death after two years. Participants who consistently took GLP-1 medications for the entire three years had the highest risk reductions for heart events at 18%.
5. When asked how cardiology programs have been preparing for the broader effects of GLP-1 use by their patients, Tariq Ahmad, MD, chief of the heart failure program at Yale New Haven (Conn.) Health told Becker’s that given the fact that obesity is the primary driver of heart failure, “the emergence of GLP-1 receptor agonists represents the most significant medical breakthrough in cardiovascular prevention and treatment in decade.”
“These agents have the potential to alter the trajectory of cardiovascular disease at a population level by addressing obesity directly and improving cardiometabolic health,” he added. He also said the biggest obstacle to GLP-1 proliferation lies in clinician knowledge and resource gaps.
“To address this, we are developing a population health-based strategy leveraging the electronic health record to systematically identify and engage qualifying patients,” he said. “This approach integrates decision support, referral pathways and coordinated workflows to embed evidence-based GLP-1 prescribing into routine care.”
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