New research has revealed that semaglutide, the active ingredient in weight loss jabs such as Wegovy and Ozempic, could reduce a person’s risk of dangerous heart events such as a heart attack and stroke, regardless of the amount of weight lost.
Semaglutides are normally prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes to help with weight loss, and previous studies have shown they can have cardiovascular benefits for those with type 2 diabetes.
Now, two new studies presented at the European Congress on Obesity, have shown that not only can semaglutides aid weight loss, they may also help reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and other dangerous heart events in people without type 2 diabetes.
Reduced risk to the heart
Both studies were based on the largest and longest clinical trial on the effects of semaglutide for weight in over 17,000 adults living with overweight or obesity but did not have diabetes. The first found that once-weekly injection of semaglutide led to sustained weight loss, with participants losing an average of 10 per cent of their body weight after four years, regardless of age, body size, geographical location and ethnicity.
The second study led by Professor John Deanfield, a former British Heart Foundation chair, found that participants with cardiovascular conditions who were living with overweight or obesity, but who didn’t have diabetes, were also less likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or any other life-threatening heart event, regardless of how much weight they lost. Over half of the participants also went down at least one BMI category after two years.
Our response
Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, our associate medical director said: “Nearly two thirds of adults in England are living with excess weight or obesity. In patients also diagnosed with cardiovascular conditions, this large study shows that semaglutide could be a useful addition to the medicines they take.
“Even when cardiovascular patients hadn’t lost weight, the drug still lowered their risk, perhaps due to beneficial effects on blood sugar, blood pressure and inflammation on the heart, not only on reducing body fat.
“It didn’t suit everyone who took part in the trial as some people got side effects that meant they stopped the drug. We look forward to further results from this kind of research over a longer time period and in a more diverse range of participants, given that heart disease is the world’s biggest killer.”
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Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
