LONDON (dpa-AFX) - The recent findings from Novo Nordisk's A/S (NVO) SELECT trial of semaglutide, a key component in popular drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, showed that individuals taking semaglutide were able to maintain their initial weight loss for up to four years.
Moreover, a second analysis of the trial data presented this week suggests that semaglutide may have positive effects on heart health, even without significant weight loss. These results were unveiled at the European Congress on Obesity in Venice, Italy.
During the SELECT trial, which involved 17,604 adults aged 45 and above with a body mass index exceeding 27 from 41 countries, participants who had previously experienced a cardiovascular event were given either a 2.5mg weekly dose of semaglutide or a placebo for an average of 40 months. The trial revealed that high-dose semaglutide decreased the risk of major cardiovascular events by 20% for up to five years compared to a placebo.
The analysis also indicated that individuals taking semaglutide experienced an average weight loss of about 10% of their initial weight within 65 weeks, which was significantly higher than those on a placebo. Even after four years, the results remained consistent, with an average weight loss of 10.2% observed in patients still using the drug.
Furthermore, the trial's second analysis demonstrated that participants experienced heart benefits from Wegovy, regardless of their initial weight or the amount of weight they lost while on the drug. The reduced risk of severe cardiovascular events for those on Wegovy, compared to a placebo, remained consistent among individuals who lost varying amounts of body weight or even gained weight.
Researchers noted that the treatment effect with semaglutide is independent of weight loss, suggesting the drug's multiple actions in reducing cardiovascular risk beyond addressing unhealthy body fat.
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