Glucagon-like peptide-1/gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GLP-1/GIP) agonists — originally developed to treat people with diabetes and obesity — are showing promise for improving cardiovascular outcomes, but their effects can vary across different populations[1]. Understanding these variations is key to identifying who benefits most from these therapies.
To learn more about these connections, the American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health of all, is funding seven new scientific research studies to uncover which patients with obesity and cardiovascular disease are most likely to benefit from GLP-1 medications. The findings could help tailor treatment strategies and maximize the cardiovascular benefits of these medications.
This new research will complement a new American Heart Association scientific statement, published in Circulation, highlighting the importance of identifying and treating people at increased risk for heart failure before symptoms develop. The statement reinforces the broader need for proactive, evidence-based strategies across the continuum of heart failure care.
The selected teams of scientists for the "Identifying Predictors of Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Among Individuals with Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease on GLP-1 Medications" projects are from: Trustees of Boston University in Boston; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland; Duke University in Durham, North Carolina; University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in New York City; University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh; and Regents of the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in Minneapolis.
"While GLP-1 medications have shown great promise in reducing cardiovascular risk, we don't yet fully understand why the benefits vary so widely across different patients groups," said Jane A. Leopold, M.D., American Heart Association volunteer expert, reviewer of the selected teams, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Women's Interventional Cardiology Health Initiative at Brigham and Women's Hospital. "This research will help us identify the biological, clinical and social factors that influence treatment response — enabling more precise, effective care for people with obesity and cardiovascular disease."
The awarded researchers are granted access to a secure and private workspace on the American Heart Association's Precision Medicine Platform to analyze data. The Precision Medicine Platform is a state-of-the art, cloud-based system that enables researchers the power to analyze large datasets in a secure environment and the power of machine learning.
The seven research projects, which began April 1, 2025, are funded for one year each, include:
- Machine learning–based associations of GLP-1/GIP agonists with cardiovascular outcomes across different risk categories – led by Chen Gurevitz, M.D., advanced preventive cardiology fellow at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. This project will look at how GLP-1/GIP medications impact heart health in people who already have coronary artery disease, and whether those effects differ based on a person's weight or risk level for cardiovascular disease.
- Head-to-head comparison of GLP-1/GIP agonists on CVD: A pharmacoepidemiologic analysis of two datasets – led by Pamela Lutsey, Ph.D., FAHA, professor with Regents of the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. This project will compare how different GLP-1/GIP medications perform when it comes to lowering the risk of new or repeated heart problems.
- Investigating GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists in novel population dimensions to promote cardiometabolic health equity (IGNITE) – led by Brian Mac Grory, M.B., B.Ch., FAHA, MRCP, a vascular neurologist at Duke University. This project will look at whether uptake of GLP-1/GIP medications varies by factors like age, sex, race, location and income — and how these differences may affect women's health outcomes.
- Machine learning–based identification of GLP-1RA treatment response heterogeneity in CVD risk reduction – led by Ambarish Pandey, M.D., FAHA, associate professor at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. This project will use data and machine-learning approaches to figure out which groups of people respond best to GLP-1 drugs, aiming to ensure equitable access and outcomes.
- Wellness for all: Mapping precise predictors of cardiovascular response to GLP-1 agonists in diverse groups – led by Anum Saeed, M.D., assistant professor and cardiologist at the University of Pittsburgh. This project will study the different effects of these medications in people of different sexes and cardiovascular health backgrounds, to better personalize treatment.
- Real-world effectiveness of GLP-1/GIP medications for reducing the cardiovascular disease burden and disparities – led by Andrew Stokes, Ph.D., associate professor with the Trustees of Boston University. This project will use an emulated trial design to see if starting GLP-1/GIP drugs actually leads to fewer heart problems, especially in communities with more health disparities.
- PREVENT-HF: Primary and secondary prevention of heart failure in high-risk obese patients with GLP-1RA – led by Varun Sundaram, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. This study will explore whether GLP-1 drugs are associated with a greater decrease in heart failure risk among people with obesity.
The American Heart Association has funded more than $5.9 billion in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and brain health research since 1949, making it the single largest non-government supporter of heart and brain health research in the U.S. New knowledge resulting from this funding benefits millions of lives in every corner of the U.S. and around the world.
