Semaglutide may reduce cardiovascular risk through more than just weight loss

Semaglutide may reduce cardiovascular risk through more than just weight loss

A new analysis suggests that semaglutide lowers the risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death in people with overweight or obesity.

Researchers analysed data from 17,604 participants in the SELECT trial. Half received semaglutide, while the other half received placebo.

Among those taking semaglutide:

1. body weight and waist circumference decreased;
2. blood pressure improved;
3. cholesterol, inflammation and other health markers also showed positive changes.

However, researchers found that the roughly 20% reduction in major cardiovascular events could not be fully explained by weight loss or improvements in other known risk factors.

The findings suggest that semaglutide may have additional heart-protective effects through other biological mechanisms that are still being studied.