The semaglutide study suggests this class of drugs may have broader benefits, although the researchers found that a reduction in waist circumference was associated with improved heart health.
The largest study of its kind has found that the weight-loss drug semaglutide reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke regardless of how much weight a person loses.
However, studies have shown that a smaller waist circumference (a sign of less belly fat) is associated with better heart health.
The study’s findings, published in The Lancet, suggest the drug could offer broader benefits to patients beyond weight loss and should not be limited to the most obese patients.
Researchers are beginning to study the additional benefits of semaglutide, the main ingredient in the weight-loss drug Wegovy.
The aim of the screening study, led by University College London (UCL), is to study whether people taking the drug experience “serious adverse cardiac events”, including death from heart disease, heart attack or stroke.
Half of the participants in the study, conducted in 41 countries, received weekly injections of semaglutide, while the other half received a dummy drug called a placebo.
A previous analysis of the data showed that semaglutide reduced the risk of serious cardiac events by 20%. The researchers found that the benefits were evident regardless of the amount of weight lost while taking the drug.
The researchers said the findings suggest the drug may have a positive effect on the heart in several ways, not just by promoting weight loss.
They found that even slightly overweight people, with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 (the average BMI for adults in the UK), experienced the same benefits as those with the highest BMIs.
These benefits were also largely independent of how much weight people lost during the first four months of treatment.
However, the researchers noted a difference between the reduction in waist size (measured by waist circumference) and the heart benefits.
Writing in The Lancet, they stated: “An estimated 33% of the observed benefit in major adverse cardiovascular events was achieved by reducing waist circumference.”
Lead author of the study, Professor John Deanfield, from the Institute of Cardiovascular Science at University College London, said: “Belly fat is more detrimental to cardiovascular health than overall body mass, so it is not surprising that reducing waist circumference is associated with cardiovascular benefits.”
However, two-thirds of semaglutide’s beneficial effects on the heart remain unexplained. These findings redefine our understanding of this drug’s mechanism of action.
”It’s marketed as a weight-loss drug, but its heart benefits aren’t directly related to the amount of weight lost—in fact, it’s a drug that directly impacts heart disease and other diseases associated with aging.”
”You don’t need to lose a lot of weight, and you don’t need a very high BMI to reap the cardiovascular benefits. If your goal is to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, there’s no point in limiting its use to a limited time frame and only to people with the highest BMI.”
At the same time, its benefits must be weighed against potential side effects, which are especially important given the wide range of people who may benefit from this and other similar drugs.
Post time: Oct-27-2025