PhD defence by Mariam Elmegaard

Navigating the practice-changing era of SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists in cardiovascular care - From real-world data to clinical implementation

Assessment Committee:
Associate professor Carolina Malta Hansen, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen (Chairperson)
Associate professor Brian Bridal Løgstrup, Aarhus University
Dr Kieran Docherty, University of Glasgow, School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health

Supervisors:
Clinical Professor Morten Schou
Clinical Professor Lars Valeur Køber

Department:
Department of Clinical Medicine

Graduate Programme:
Cardiovascular Research

Place:
Main Building, Herlev Hospital, Room: Main Auditorium, Borgmester Ib Juuls vej 1, 2730 Herlev

Email address to gain access to the thesis: mariam.elmegaard@regionh.dk 
You will either receive a copy of the thesis or be informed where you can read a physical copy.

Short description of the thesis:
Medicines originally developed for type 2 diabetes, including SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists, have transformed cardiovascular and kidney care, with benefits extending beyond lowering blood sugar. However, effective treatments only improve health if they reach the patients who may benefit from them. This PhD thesis uses nationwide Danish health data to examine how these therapies are used in everyday clinical practice, including which patients are less likely to start or continue treatment. It also presents the EMAIL-HF trial, designed to test whether digital patient outreach linked to specialist evaluation can improve access to SGLT2 inhibitor treatment for people with chronic heart failure. Together, the studies explore how medical advances can be translated into equitable, real-world care.