The weight loss drug Wegovy has become wildly popular, and the health benefits go beyond just dropping pounds, according to new data released by the drugmaker. Results of the clinical trial released on Tuesday, Aug. 8, suggests the supplement, used for quickly losing weight, directly coincides with a lower risk of heart disease by as much as 20%.
The study, which has not been peer-reviewed, suggests people taking Wegovy have cut their risk of experiencing a heart attack or a stroke by one-fifth. That’s a higher reduction than what many health experts had originally predicted.
The clinical trials lasted more than five years and studied more than 17,000 patients who were overweight or obese with heart disease taking Wegovy or a placebo.
Now that the results are in, the Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk wants to capitalize on the results by looking to add cardiovascular benefits to the drug’s prescribing label. If that happens, there’s a higher chance insurance companies would provide more coverage for the weight loss pills that typically cost more than $1,300 a month.
Ozempic, the Type 2 diabetes injection that has become a popular weight loss drug lowered cardiovascular risk by 26%, according to a clinical trial solely for diabetics. Ozempic has not been approved by the FDA as a weight loss drug.
A study published by the National Institute for Health and Care Research says obesity raises the risk of heart disease by at least 28%.
While the Wegovy clinical trial points to promising results of lowering heart disease, the No. 1 killer in the U.S., there have also been health concerns posed by the government over taking the pills.
Straight Arrow News reported in July about an investigation into the potential link between the drug and stomach paralysis.
