(WXYZ) — A recent study showed that a weight loss drug lowered the risk of heart attacks, strokes and heart-related deaths in overweight adults with heart problems.
These encouraging trial results from Novo Nordisk’s weight loss drug Wegovy could lead to a new way to treat heart disease.
Wegovy reduced the risk of heart problems in participants by 20%. This is really great news because heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women here in the U.S.
Now, this was an international study that was sponsored by Novo Nordisk. It involved over 17,600 participants aged 45 or older from 41 countries. Everyone was overweight with a BMI, or body mass index, of 27 or higher. And they all had cardiovascular disease. What I mean by that is that they either had a previous stroke, heart attack or clogged arteries.
The participants were split into groups and every week, they were given either a 2.4-milligram dose of semaglutide, which is the active drug in Wegovy, or a placebo.
After two years, those taking semaglutide lost on average 9.4% of their body weight, while the placebo group lost less than 1%. Furthermore, the trial found that only 6.5% of the semaglutide group had a stroke or heart attack or died from heart-related causes, compared to 8% in the placebo group.
However, the most significant benefit was seen in the prevention of non-fatal heart attacks, with semaglutide showing a remarkable 28% risk reduction compared to the placebo group.
Many are wondering if it’s the drug or weight loss that is leading to these heart benefits. However, even the researchers themselves are uncertain whether it's the drug, the subsequent weight loss or a combination of both that's responsible for these effects.
In the trial, the participants taking Wegovy experienced several additional benefits including a reduced risk of developing diabetes, a further reduction of 6.6 centimeters in their waist circumference compared to the placebo group, significant decreases in systolic blood pressure and reductions in an inflammation marker known as C-reactive protein.
Now, inflammation can affect the heart. It can trigger the rupture of plaques in arteries and lead to blood clots, which in turn can result in heart attacks and strokes. During the clinical trial, those taking semaglutide saw reductions in inflammation similar to those observed in patients prescribed statins, which are frequently used to lower cholesterol and reduce heart disease risk.
While this sounds great, it still doesn’t mean it’s the drug itself. So, the research team is planning additional analyses over the next year to examine in more detail how the drug may help to prevent heart issues.
