Weight-loss drug lowers heart attack risk regardless of pounds shed

The weight-loss drug semaglutide reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes, regardless of the amount of weight lost, according to a new study.

The study, published this week in The Lancet, said that drugs such as semaglutide may provide health benefits beyond weight reduction, including lowering cardiovascular risks, and should not be limited solely to the most severely obese patients.

Researchers investigated the broader effects of semaglutide, the active ingredient in the weight-loss drug Wegovy. They assessed whether participants taking the medication experienced a "major adverse cardiac event," including heart-related deaths, heart attacks or strokes.

The study analyzed data from 17,604 participants aged 45 and older who were overweight or obese. Conducted across 41 countries, half of the participants received weekly semaglutide injections, while the other half were given a placebo.

An earlier analysis showed that semaglutide reduced the risk of major adverse cardiac events by 20%, and researchers now say this benefit is seen regardless of how much weight is lost during treatment.

Academics said the findings indicate that the drug may protect the heart through multiple mechanisms, not just through weight loss. The benefits of semaglutide were largely independent of weight loss in the first four months of treatment.

However, researchers observed a link between reduced waist circumference and heart protection. They noted that an estimated 33% of the drug's effect on major adverse cardiovascular events was mediated through waist circumference reduction.