Wegovy Aids Heart Failure Patients in Weight Loss, Symptom Improvement

A new clinical trial reveals that weight-loss medications like Wegovy can significantly improve heart health in patients suffering from heart failure. The trial, spearheaded by researchers, indicated that both men and women who used semaglutide, the active compound in Wegovy and Ozempic, experienced enhanced heart function after a year of consistent use.

Interestingly, the study noted a gender difference in weight loss, with women losing an average of 9.6% of their body weight compared to 7.2% for men. Despite this variance, both genders showed comparable improvements in heart health, suggesting that semaglutide's cardiovascular benefits might extend beyond its weight-loss effects.

Dr. Mikhail Kosiborod, a cardiologist at Saint Luke's Mid-America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, and the senior researcher of the study, highlighted the uniform benefits of semaglutide for both men and women. The clinical trial involved 1,145 participants with heart failure who were randomly assigned to receive either semaglutide or a placebo over the course of a year.

Heart failure is a condition where the heart's efficiency in pumping oxygen-rich blood throughout the body diminishes, leading to symptoms like fatigue and shortness of breath. These symptoms can make routine activities such as walking or carrying groceries exceedingly challenging, as noted by the American Heart Association.

Participants who were administered semaglutide reported notable alleviation in both the symptoms of heart failure and the physical impairments caused by the condition. Additionally, these individuals experienced lower blood pressure, reduced waist circumference, and diminished inflammation after a year of treatment, according to the researchers.

These significant findings were published on June 23 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and were also presented at the American Diabetes Association’s annual meeting in Orlando, Florida.