Aug. 8, 2023 – Issues within the coronary heart and blood vessels akin to coronary heart assaults and strokes have been decreased 20% amongst sufferers taking the favored however costly weight reduction drug Wegovy, in line with a trial of greater than 17,000 individuals with chubby or weight problems who additionally had heart problems. 

The discovering ought to gas improved affected person entry to this drug, a weight reduction agent that has traditionally been hindered by skepticism amongst U.S. medical insurance corporations who now may even see broader well being advantages than simply the remedy of chubby and weight problems. 

Wegovy maker Novo Nordisk launched the research outcomes this morning. The research discovered that individuals who acquired 2.4-milligram photographs of semaglutide (whose model identify is Wegovy) confirmed a big 20% discount in heart-related deaths, coronary heart assaults, or strokes.

The corporate stated semaglutide remedy additionally considerably decreased how usually every of those points occurred.

The outcomes additionally confirmed a stage of security and affected person tolerance for weekly photographs that have been in keeping with prior studies. The FDA authorised semaglutide as Wegovy in 2021 for weight reduction, and as Ozempic, with a most dose of two.0 milligrams, for blood sugar management in individuals with sort 2 diabetes. Semaglutide belongs to a category of medicine known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists.

‘A Good Consequence for Sufferers’

“The highest line outcomes … are thrilling as stopping coronary heart assaults and stroke with a drug that additionally lowers weight is essential for a lot of sufferers, particularly if the info additionally present, as I believe they may, a significant enchancment of high quality of life for sufferers on account of related weight reduction,” stated Naveed Sattar, PhD, a professor of metabolic drugs on the College of Glasgow in Scotland who was not concerned with the research.

“It is a good outcome for sufferers,” stated Sattar, who additionally famous that “we have no idea to what extent the load loss results of semaglutide, versus its different direct results on blood vessels or the guts, account for the 20% discount in cardiovascular occasions, and extra information are wanted to attempt to work this out.” 

Regardless of this lack of readability over the position weight reduction itself performed in driving the outcomes, the findings problem a long-standing prejudice in opposition to the medical necessity and security of weight reduction medication when used for the only real level of serving to individuals shed weight.

Altering How Weight problems Is Regarded

“Thus far, there are not any authorised weight administration medicines confirmed to ship efficient weight administration whereas additionally lowering the chance of coronary heart assault, stroke or cardiovascular dying,” Martin Holst Lange, MD, PhD, govt vp for improvement at Novo Nordisk, stated within the firm’s information launch. 

A number of of the early medical choices for aiding weight reduction had substantial hostile results, together with elevated main points within the coronary heart and blood vessels, a historical past that led to loads of warning amongst medical doctors over the security of anti-obesity brokers and the knowledge of utilizing medically aided weight reduction to supply well being advantages.

This perspective additionally helped dampen medical insurance protection of weight reduction remedies. For instance, Medicare has a long-standing coverage in opposition to reimbursing the price of medicines which are used for weight reduction, and a 2003 federal legislation prohibited Half D plans from offering this protection.

In line with the Novo Nordisk announcement, there can be a full report on outcomes from the trial at a scientific assembly later this yr.



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