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According to federal regulators, you can now use the popular weight-loss drug Wegovy to lower your risk of cardiovascular diseases. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had previously approved Semaglutide under the brand name Wegovy for treating obesity only. Following the publication of a study in November 2023, which showed that Wegovy helps prevent heart diseases in certain people, the agency approved a label change request from drugmaker Novo Nordisk to expand the use of the drug. Let's take a look at the study to understand how Wegovy can be beneficial to heart health.

How Wegovy works against heart disease

Published in The New England Journal of Medicine in November 2023, the Semaglutide Effects on Cardiovascular Outcomes in People With Overweight or Obesity (SELECT) trial showed that the anti-obesity medication Wegovy has several cardiovascular benefits. The trial followed 17,604 people aged 45 and older who were overweight or obese and had a cardiovascular condition but didn't have a history of diabetes. For an average of about three years, around half of the participants were given 2.4 mg of Wegovy weekly, while the others took a placebo treatment.

At the end of the trial, the group that took Wegovy had a 20% lower risk of major cardiac events, such as stroke, heart attack, or cardiovascular death. Additionally, there was a 28% drop in heart attacks for those taking heart medications to lower cholesterol, a 7% reduction in nonfatal strokes, and a 15% decrease in cardiovascular-related deaths. One interesting nonheart-related finding was that those who took Wegovy had a 19% lower death rate from any cause.

Over 70% of adults in the United States are affected by overweight and obesity, serious health problems that can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other health issues, as well as premature death. According to Yale Medicine cardiologist Dr. Harlan Krumholz, early obesity treatment may cause cardiovascular-related benefits to occur even in the first three years. It can also become increasingly beneficial over the long run. Since it has proven effective in promoting weight loss, Wegovy can potentially help treat and prevent heart diseases.

Understand heart disease and its impact

Also known as cardiovascular disease, heart disease is a general term that refers to a wide range of conditions that affect the heart. The most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease, which leads to heart attacks. Problems can occur in different parts of your heart, including the heart valves, muscles, and electrical conduction system.

When the heart isn't functioning properly, it has difficulty sending enough oxygen, blood, and nutrients to tissues and organs throughout the body, so it can't deliver the fuel needed to keep the body's systems running smoothly. A heart that fails to do its job well can affect all bodily functions.

In its early stages, cardiovascular disease may cause milder symptoms such as chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Certain types of heart disease can lead to severe complications such as heart failure, heart attack, stroke, cardiac arrest, cardiomyopathy, heart valve disease, and abnormal heart rhythms. These conditions can have fatal consequences.

Who can benefit from wegovy?

A Yale study published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes estimates that 6.6 million nondiabetic Americans with obesity and heart conditions can benefit from Wegovy. Researchers arrived at this estimate after searching national registers for people with the same characteristics as the SELECT trial participants and projecting the representative group to the country's population.

Dr. Krumholz said that making Wegovy more accessible and available can change how doctors treat heart conditions, as the medication can potentially help many people. He further added that progress against cardiovascular disease has slowed or even reversed over the last decade, partly due to the obesity pandemic. Medical experts haven't found a way to target it directly, so they have instead focused on treating cardiovascular-related conditions such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Now that they can use Wegovy to treat obesity directly, the current trends in cardiology may change.

Potential risks and side effects

According to the FDA, Wegovy can potentially cause side effects such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, constipation, pancreas and gallbladder problems, and suicidal thinking or behavior. It can also increase the risk of eye problems in diabetic people and low blood sugar in people taking certain diabetes medications. Around one-third of the participants of the SELECT trial reported severe side effects, which caused 17% of the Wegovy group and 8% of the placebo group to leave the study.

Nevertheless, Dr. Krumholz said most people tolerate semaglutide therapy when administered gradually, with a slight weekly dose increase. There's plenty of efficacy and safety evidence from diabetic people who have taken the medication.

Future implications and conclusion

At this point, scientists still can't ascertain why and how semaglutide reduces the risk of cardiovascular events. They're conducting further studies to determine whether there are other factors besides weight reduction that bring cardiovascular benefits. Also, the SELECT study didn't show whether semaglutide can lower the risk of heart disease associated with obesity and overweight in people who don't have a pre-existing cardiovascular condition. However, future studies may find that obese people without heart disease can significantly reduce their risk for major heart conditions.

Boost your heart health with the biostation

With Wegovy shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, overweight and obese people now have an effective way to improve their cardiovascular health. If you're searching for a reputable provider of semaglutide therapy services in Florida, consider contacting our healthcare experts. With 12 locations across Florida, we provide a wide range of personalized anti-aging and wellness services to help you live a healthy and happy life. Aside from semaglutide therapy, we also offer other effective treatments for heart conditions and obesity. Contact us today to explore your options.