Findings from a retrospective trial show GLP-1 medications for moderate peripheral artery disease (PAD) significantly decreased the risk of amputations.

Dr Catherine Go (Charleston Area Medical Center, Charleston, WV, US) joins us to discuss outcomes from the largest retrospective trial evaluating the impact of GLP-1 medications for patients with moderate PAD. The study used the TriNetX database to identify 55,000 patients who started medication on a GLP-1 receptor agonist and compared them to 55,000 patients who did not start on a GLP-1 receptor agonist, and the patients were followed for one year.

Findings showed that GLP-1 receptor agonist treatment in patients with moderate PAD, including in those without diabetes, was associated with lower rates of cardiac events, limb events, hospital admissions and mortality.

Interview Questions:
1. What is the importance behind the retrospective trial?
2. What was the study design and patient population?
3. What were the key findings, and were there any unexpected results?
4. What are the take-home messages for practice?
5. What further research is needed in this area, and what are the next steps?

Recorded remotely from Charleston, 2025.

Editors: Jordan Rance, Yazmin Sadik
Videographers: David Ben-Harosh

Support: This is an independent interview produced by Radcliffe Vascular.