Wegovy Can Help Prevent Heart Attacks, Stroke: Study

Wegovy can be great for a person’s heart health, data from a newly revealed clinical trial suggests.

Novo Nordisk, the Danish manufacturer of the blockbuster weight loss drug, said Tuesday that obese Wegovy users with a history of heart disease were 20% less likely to experience a stroke or heart attack when they were on a 2.4 milligram weekly dose.

Obesity is linked to cardiovascular disease, so reducing one’s weight – as Wegovy does – may help prevent cardiovascular events. Insulin resistance, which the drug also helps treat, is linked to cardiovascular disease as well. 

The trial enrolled more than 17,500 adults aged 45 years and older who were overweight or obese and who had a diagnosis of cardiovascular disease but not diabetes. Over a period of five years, patients were either given a weekly injection of either Wegovy or a placebo. Novo plans to unveil more detailed information later this year, according to Reuters.

Novo Nordisk, who manufactures the drug, has hopes of changing Wegovy’s image from that of a “vanity” drug. Currently, there is a dearth of research showing that Wegovy can not only help patients lose weight, but also avoid the diseases associated with being overweight or obese. 

This study is one of the first that shows that Wegovy does not just help with weight loss and can provide a clear medical benefit. 

Novo Nordisk’s stock rose by 13% in response to the news in pre-market trading Tuesday. 

Wegovy uses the active ingredient semaglutide, which was initially formulated to treat type 2 diabetes and sold by Novo under the brand name Ozempic. After Ozempic users started to see significant weight loss, the company rebranded semaglutide under the name Wegovy, and sought out Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for it as a weight loss drug.

In clinical trials, it helped participants lose up to 16% of their total body weight over 68 weeks. The weekly injection received approval for use as a weight loss drug in 2021.

Wegovy is in high demand, as many Americans are either obese or overweight. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 40% of American adults are obese, and 73% are overweight. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with an estimated 699,659 deaths in 2022. The CDC also estimates that more than 795,000 people have a stroke every year.

However, it hasn’t all been good news for Novo: they were served a lawsuit on August 2nd from patients alleging that the drug caused stomach paralysis.