To take one weight loss drug may also help reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiac death, data show.
Waysa drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat obesity, lowers the risk of heart-related problems by up to 44% in people who are overweight or obese and do not have diabetes, according to a study is published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The study, funded by Novo Nordisk, the maker of Wegovy, looked at more than 17,000 people in 41 countries who were over the age of 45 with pre-existing heart disease.
Over an average of 34 months, the people in the study who took Wegovy not only saw their risk of heart complications lower, but also saw lower blood pressure levels and greater weight loss than people in the placebo group.
In this photo illustration, the injectable weight loss medication Wegovy is available at New City Halstead Pharmacy on April 24, 2024 in Chicago.
Scott Olson/Getty Images, FILE
Wegovy is part of a class of medicines called GLP-1 receptor agonists that help people increase the amount of insulin in their bodies to lower the amount of sugar in their blood.
Semaglutide, the drugs’ active ingredient, works by slowing the movement of food through the stomach and suppressing appetite, causing weight loss.
In the study, nearly 17% of Wegovy users had side effects including heart, GI and nervous system problems severe enough to cause them to drop out of the study,
Among all drugs used for weight loss, the most commonly reported side effects are nausea and constipation, but irreversible disease of the gallbladder and pancreas is also reported.
Manufacturers of these drugs recommend that you discuss the side effect profile and personal risks with a healthcare professional before starting.
Kierstin Luber, DO, MPH, member of the ABC News Medical Unit, contributed to this report.