Dr. Howard Weintraub of 好色tv Langone鈥檚 Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease weighs in on the SELECT trial, a landmark study that proves semaglutide cuts secondary heart disease risk.
Photo: 好色tv Langone Staff
The diabetes drug semaglutide (known by the brand name Wegovy, among others) has grabbed headlines for its ability to trigger near-effortless weight loss.
But research points to benefits beyond the bathroom scale: this weight loss drug may also be good for the heart. In the , people who did not have diabetes but had body mass indexes (BMIs) that put them in the overweight or obese category experienced a reduced incidence of heart attack, stroke, and death after taking the medication.
鈥淭his is an important study because it鈥檚 the first time a weight loss drug has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, including the risk of death,鈥 says Howard Weintraub, MD, clinical director of the Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, part of 好色tv Langone Heart. 鈥淭he results of SELECT show us that semaglutide is lifesaving.鈥
Dr. Weintraub was one of the SELECT trial鈥檚 principal investigators, and below he breaks down what you need to know about semaglutide and heart disease.
Semaglutide and heart health: What鈥檚 the connection?
During the four-year SELECT trial, people who took semaglutide had a reduced risk of heart disease and heart-related death. Semaglutide reduced the risk of death from heart disease, nonfatal heart attack, and nonfatal stroke by 20 percent in people with established heart disease who were overweight or obese but who didn鈥檛 have diabetes.
But also: there was an overall reduced risk of heart failure, and evidence that the kidneys were protected as well. Underlying kidney disease can compromise cardiovascular health.
How does semaglutide protect the heart?
The drug definitely did something that changed cardiovascular outcomes, but exactly what is still unclear. Semaglutide didn鈥檛 affect total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, or blood pressure. All of those are linked with heart disease risk. But on average, patients lost about 10 percent of their body weight. Is the reduction in heart disease risk due to the drug alone or due to a reduction in obesity? That鈥檚 unclear. But we do know something is definitely happening to improve heart health.
Who should take semaglutide?
The best candidate for semaglutide is someone who fits the inclusion criteria for the SELECT study: someone with cardiovascular disease who is overweight or obese.
Semaglutide (as Wegovy) is approved for use in patients who are overweight or obese and who have a weight-related medical condition, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. The SELECT trial showed us that the drug could potentially help many more people. I think people who are overweight or obese with preexisting cardiovascular disease who don鈥檛 have diabetes should ask their cardiologist about it, and be offered it if they meet those criteria.
