Weight loss jab could reduce heart attack risk, study finds

An injection designed to tackle obesity could reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in people regardless of the amount of weight they lose while on the drug, according to a new study.

Researchers looked at the effects of semaglutide – which is a prescription drug that supresses appetite and is sold under the brand names Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus.

They found the anti-obesity jabs could also benefit the cardiovascular health of millions of adults.

Prof John Deanfield, who led the team of researchers, said the generic drug could have a positive impact on blood sugar, blood pressure or inflammation, as well as direct effects on the heart muscle and vessels.

The five-year University College London (UCL) study used data from the Select trial, run by semaglutide manufacturer Novo Nordisk, to examine 17,604 adults over the age of 45 from 41 countries.

Speaking ahead of presenting the study at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Venice, Prof Deanfield said the findings had “important clinical implications”.

He said it was an important discovery – likening it to when statins were introduced in the 1990s.

“We finally figured out that there was a drug class that would change the biology of this disease to benefit a lot of people. That was a major breakthrough and it’s transformed cardiology practice. 

“We now have this class of drugs which could equally transform many chronic diseases of ageing.”