New Wegovy trial results are out. Here are our 3 biggest takeaways.

Findings from a new large-scale clinical trial of Novo Nordisk‘s weight-loss drug Wegovy suggest that it may reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events by 20%. Advisory Board‘s Regina Lohr and Gabriela Marmolejos share their three biggest takeaways from the trial and explain how these findings could impact chronic disease prevention. 

Wegovy may reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events by 20%

In a new large-scale clinical trial, Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss drug Wegovy reduced the risk of serious cardiovascular events, such as heart attack and stroke, by 20%.

In the late-stage SELECT trial, researchers analyzed data from 17,604 participants ages 45 and older who either received a 2.4-milligram dose of Wegovy or a placebo as well as standard care.

Participants were either overweight or obese and had existing cardiovascular disease, but not prior history of diabetes. Overall, the researchers found that Wegovy reduced the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular deaths by 20%, surpassing the study’s initial goal of a 17% reduction in risk.

“Twenty percent is huge,” said Shauna Levy, an obesity medicine specialist and medical director of the Tulane Bariatric Center. “All of this narrative about people just wanting this for cosmetic reasons, I think, to some degree, has overshadowed all of the health benefits we can get from this medication.”

“People are very excited,” said James Januzzi, a cardiologist and researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital, who was not involved in the study. “Although we have been able to slow the tide of heart disease in the last 20 years, a lot of those gains have started to be lost because of the rise of obesity and diabetes.”

Levy noted that the results of the study may be compelling enough to convince insurers to cover the treatment, something many have been reluctant to do due to high costs. Currently, Novo Nordisk and other companies developing weight-loss drugs are testing whether these drugs can treat other health conditions, such as sleep apnea, liver disease, and chronic kidney disease.

According to Joseph Wu, the president of the American Heart Association and a cardiologist at the Stanford University School of Medicine, “it is likely that by reducing weight, these comorbid disease conditions will also improve.” (Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 8/8; Mueller, New York Times, 8/8; Loftus, Wall Street Journal, 8/8; Lenharo, Nature, 8/10; Landman, Vox, 8/9)