Peripheral artery disease is a common complication of type 2 diabetes that can impair walking ability and quality of life. Data presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2025 examined whether semaglutide’s benefits in the STRIDE trial varied with baseline disease severity or age.

In this study, 792 participants with type 2 diabetes and peripheral artery disease were randomized to receive weekly subcutaneous semaglutide 1.0 mg or placebo for 52 weeks. Functional outcomes were assessed using maximum walking distance and pain-free walking distance on a treadmill. Analyses were stratified by age (<65 vs ≥65 years) and median toe-brachial index (<0.52 vs ≥0.52).

At week 52, semaglutide improved maximum walking distance compared with placebo in both age groups (ratio to baseline: 1.35 vs 1.14 for <65 years; 1.2 vs 1.08 for ≥65 years) and across TBI categories (1.24 vs 1.1 for TBI <0.52; 1.3 vs 1.11 for TBI ≥0.52). Pain-free walking distance showed similar improvements. No significant interactions were detected between treatment effect and age or TBI.

These findings indicate that semaglutide consistently enhances functional capacity in patients with diabetes-related peripheral artery disease, independent of age or baseline limb perfusion, supporting its broad applicability in this population.