An injectable weight-loss drug called semaglutide is helping obese people by suppressing appetite, but could these drugs be the next breakthrough in maintaining heart health?
The Food and Drug Administration recently approved Wegovy, the brand name for semaglutide, as a secondary prevention medication to reduce the risk of serious heart disease.
Will your cardiologist be prescribing the weight loss drug Wegovy to improve your heart health anytime soon?
“This effect isn't necessarily due to weight loss; it appears to be specific to the drug itself,” says Dr. Meera Shah, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic.
A study published in November 2023 showed that in obese adult patients who already had cardiovascular disease, Wegovy reduced the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death from cardiovascular disease by 20%.
“That's a huge number, and it's quite significant to see such a large effect, especially considering that these people were all already taking very good baseline medications, including statins and blood pressure medications,” Dr. Shah said.
And that is why the FDA approved Wegovy as a drug to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
“There's been evidence of improved blood pressure, improved heart cell function, etc. There appear to be a number of different mechanisms at work that result in an overall positive effect,” Dr Shah said.
This is a benefit that could help reduce the risk of developing serious cardiovascular disease for millions of Americans.
“I think we finally have something that may help not only prevent cardiovascular disease but also help with weight loss and improved blood sugar control,” Dr. Shah says.
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