A new injection called semaglutide might help people lose weight and lower their risk of heart attacks and strokes, a study says.
This injection makes people feel fuller so they eat less. It’s also known as Wegovy, Ozempic, and Rybelsus.
The study, led by Prof John Deanfield from University College London (UCL), looked at 17,604 adults over five years from 41 countries.
They found that after 20 weeks, 62% of people on semaglutide lost more than 5% of their body weight, compared to only 10% in a placebo group.
What is interesting is that even if people did not lose much weight, they still had a similar reduction in heart attack, stroke, or heart failure risk.
Prof Deanfield said this discovery is as significant as when statins were introduced in the 1990s.
He explained that many patients with obesity could benefit from semaglutide, which could also improve other health problems.
Another study presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Italy, led by Prof Donna Ryan, looked at semaglutide’s long-term effects on weight.
Wegovy, which contains the same ingredient as Ozempic, has been hailed as a promising treatment for obesity. However, experts warn that it is not a substitute for a healthy lifestyle and should only be used under medical supervision.