Randomised controlled trial on GLP-1 agonists in acute pulmonary embolism with insulin resistance and obesity: a proof-of-concept study.

Pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lungs) is a common, potentially life-threatening condition affecting 50 to 75 per 100,000 people each year in Australia. The current long-term treatment of blood clots is limited to blood thinners alone, and there are no other studies investigating different treatment approaches. Mechanisms that determine persistence of blood clots in the lung blood vessels despite adequate blood thinning treatment remain unknown. Inflammation within the blood vessel walls following a blood clot seems to be an important driver of impaired clot resolution, but treatments targeting inflammation within the blood vessels are limited. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, which are commonly used in diabetes treatment, have prominent anti-inflammatory and blood vessel relaxation properties supporting their use in patients with lung blood clots at higher risk of worse outcomes. The purpose of this study is to test a novel treatment approach with a once-a-day medication (Liraglutide), in hospitalised patients with acute lung blood clots.