Effects of albiglutide on myocardial infarction and ischaemic heart disease outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in the Harmony Outcomes trial

Large outcome trials have demonstrated cardiovascular benefits of selected glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. We examined coronary disease outcomes in the Harmony Outcomes trial of the GLP-1 receptor agonist albiglutide.

Harmony Outcomes was an event-driven, multicenter, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial involving 9463 patients >40 years of age with type-2 diabetes and established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. It tested the effects of albiglutide on the occurrence of a composite primary endpoint, consisting of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke. Within this post-hoc analysis, the effects of albiglutide on MI subtypes and other ischaemic endpoints were analysed.

During the median-follow up of 1.6 years, a total of 421 patients (4.5%) experienced at least one MI, with 72 patients having more than one event. Treatment with albiglutide reduced both first events [hazard ratio (HR) 0.75 (0.62–0.91)] and overall events [HR 0.75 (0.61–0.91)] as well as first type 1 [HR 0.73 (0.57–0.92)] and type 2 myocardial infarctions [HR 0.65 (0.46–0.92)]. The effect of albiglutide treatment was consistent for ST-segment elevation [HR 0.69 (0.38–1.26)] and non-ST elevation (HR 0.86 (0.66–1.2) MI.

Treatment with the GLP-1 receptor agonist albiglutide resulted in a 25% relative risk reduction in MI that was consistent for type of infarction and presence or absence of ST elevation. Our findings add novel information about the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists on ischaemic events in patients with type 2 diabetes.