Semaglutide Shows Early Cardiovascular Benefits in Patients with Obesity and Heart Disease

Semaglutide Shows Early Cardiovascular Benefits In Patients With Obesity And Heart Disease

Hey, guess what? That wonder drug semaglutide isn’t just about weight loss. New research is showing it starts saving hearts way sooner than you think.

A fresh secondary analysis, just dropped at the 32nd European Congress on Obesity, says semaglutide’s magic kicks in within three months—before patients even hit the full dose or drop serious pounds.

The original 2023 New England Journal of Medicine study had over 17,000 folks overweight or obese, all with cardiovascular disease. Half got semaglutide, half got a placebo. The result? Semaglutide users had a 20% lower risk of heart attacks, strokes, or dying from heart problems.

But here’s the kicker: at three months, early benefits popped up. This is before most people reached the 2.4 mg dose or lost much weight. At 12 weeks, weight was only down 3.6% compared to placebo, yet heart risks already dipped.

Six months in, the perks grew—less risk of death from any cause, fewer heart failure events. Cardiologists like Patrick Kee, MD, PhD, called it a game changer. He told Medical News Today that semaglutide’s effect “emerged early and persisted,” making it a hopeful option for people with obesity and heart disease, even without diabetes.

Another expert, Dr. Cheng-Han Chen from California, points out that some patients don’t shed pounds on semaglutide but might still get these heart perks. So sticking with the drug could pay off.

The full data isn’t out yet, so details are still coming. And heads up—less than 30% of participants were women, and not many Black participants either. So it’s not the full world picture.

Still, with heart disease clocking one in five deaths in the US, these early wins from semaglutide could be a big deal for millions.

Stay tuned for more — but for now, semaglutide looks like a quick heart helper, not just a weight-loss wonder.