On Saturday (November 11th) local time, Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk stated that its weight loss drug Wegovy can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and Wegovy's protective effect on the heart is not just due to the indirect effects of weight loss.
Early data from the Select trial released by Novo Nordisk in August this year showed that Wegovy can help patients lose an average of 15% of their weight and also reduce the incidence of heart attacks, strokes, or heart disease deaths by 20%.
However, there is a view that, given that overweight and obesity are the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease, the benefits of Wegovy for the heart may be indirectly achieved through weight loss rather than the direct effect of the drug itself.
The annual scientific conference of the American Heart Association was held in Philadelphia on Saturday, and Novo Nordisk released the full results of the study, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The research results indicate that in addition to the known health benefits of weight loss, Wegovy also has other beneficial effects.
Wegovy can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, not only as a result of weight loss
Researchers say that compared to the placebo control group, the difference in heart disease risk among patients taking Wegovy appears almost immediately after starting treatment.
The study was based on body mass index and targeted overweight and obese patients who had heart disease but no diabetes. Data shows that compared to the placebo control group, Wegovy (chemically known as smeglutide) reduced the risk of non fatal heart attacks by 28%, non fatal strokes by 7%, and heart disease related deaths by 15%.
Novo Nord stated that given that patients did not start losing weight when cardiovascular benefits first appeared, this indicates that Wegovy's protective effect on the heart is not solely a result of weight loss.
Researchers report that patients taking Wegovy have a decrease in C-reactive protein, which is a sign of inflammation. Similar to those taking cholesterol lowering statins, statins can significantly reduce the risk of heart disease.
Researchers say that although the understanding of the cardiovascular protection mechanism of smeagllutide is still in the speculative stage, its impact on related risk factors is consistent, which supports the view that the drug has multiple clinical benefits. The associated risks and benefits include inflammation, blood pressure, and blood sugar control, all of which can affect heart health.
Martin Lange, head of research and development at Novo Nordisk, said, "The cardiovascular benefits of (Wegovy) are the result of a combination of multiple factors, but I will particularly emphasize blood sugar control, weight loss, and inflammation
Research shows that a total of 17604 patients participated in the trial, with an average duration of 33 months. Nearly 1500 patients who took Wegovy stopped treatment due to adverse side effects, mainly including gastrointestinal diseases such as nausea and vomiting. In the placebo control group, 718 patients stopped treatment.
Expert: Doctors may consider using Wegovy to treat heart disease
Chad Weldy, a cardiologist at Stanford University, pointed out that the experiment did not study how smectide prevents the onset of heart disease, but only how to prevent its progression. However, given the size of the patient population covered by this trial, doctors should start considering which patients to prescribe Wegovy based on the data.
Weldy said, "Anyone with heart disease or obstructive coronary artery disease and a body mass index above 27 is eligible for this study, which is a very large patient population
Bruno Halpern, director of the Obesity Center at 9 de Julho Hospital in S ã o Paulo, Brazil, also stated that Wegovy should now become a first-line medication for treating heart disease.
Barclays analyst Emily Field stated that it is currently unclear whether the results of this study are applicable to GLP-1 (glucagon like peptide-1) drugs or only to smectide.
Novo Nordisk stated earlier this month that the company had applied to US and EU authorities in September and October to approve Wegovy for reducing cardiovascular disease risk.