TObesity drug Wegovy can now claim to reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases in people who are overweight or obese and suffer from cardiovascular disease. This is the first weight loss drug to show heart benefits.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on March 8, based on research by Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Wegovy, that the drug reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death from heart-related problems. Approved the addition to the label on This population decreased by 20% compared to those who received a placebo.

When the study results were first presented at the American Heart Association meeting last November, they were greeted with applause by heart experts in attendance. Obesity is a major risk factor for heart disease, and doctors have plenty of drugs to treat many other risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, but there are many drugs available to help people lose weight. There are still no drugs strong enough. My current weight.

Wigoby, which was approved in 2021, is the brand name for semaglutide. Ozempic, approved in 2017 to treat diabetes, is a lower dose of semaglutide. In 2020, it also received FDA approval for reducing the risk of serious cardiovascular events in people with type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Patients taking Wegovy self-inject in increasing doses once a week until they reach the target dose of 2.4 mg. Semglutide is associated with a high risk of thyroid cancer in animals (though not humans), so people with a history of thyroid cancer should not use Wegovy. Side effects of the injection include pancreatic inflammation, kidney problems, and depression.

Commenting on the results that supported the approval, Dr. Amit Khera, director of the Preventive Cardiology Program at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, said, “This represents a completely new application to address obesity and its metabolic complications.” It’s a method.” Released in November. “The fact that we now have a new treatment option for patients with cardiovascular disease is very exciting and welcome.”