The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced on Friday that it has determined the weight-loss drug Wegovy can mitigate the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular disease in overweight or obese adults.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the popular weight-loss drug Wegovy — as well as other semaglutide medications like Ozempic and Rybelsus — have grown in popularity for their purported ability to aid in weight loss despite their original intended purpose of treating type 2 diabetes. Growth in use has even allegedly led to lower food sales at some grocery stores.
“Wegovy is now the first weight loss medication to also be approved to help prevent life-threatening cardiovascular events in adults with cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight,” said Dr. John Sharretts, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Division of Diabetes, Lipid Disorders, and Obesity, according to a press release. “This patient population has a higher risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke. Providing a treatment option that is proven to lower this cardiovascular risk is a major advance for public health.”
The FDA’s decision, which was made at the request of Wegovy manufacturer Novo Nordisk, could have major implications for consumers, as the drug will likely be considered more often to overweight and obese individuals with a high risk of cardiovascular issues.
“The hope is that insurers will start understanding that this is not a vanity drug,” said Dr. Martha Gulati, a Cedars-Sinai Medical Center cardiologist in Los Angeles, per the Associated Press. He said that roughly 70% of such patients could qualify for a prescription.
Still, the FDA noted that Wegovy users should be on the lookout for potential “inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), gallbladder problems (including gallstones), low blood sugar, acute kidney injury, hypersensitivity reactions, diabetic retinopathy (damage to the eye’s retina), increased heart rate and suicidal behavior or thinking.”
Additionally, common side effects include “nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal (stomach) pain, headache, fatigue, dyspepsia (indigestion), dizziness, abdominal distension, eructation (belching), hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in patients with diabetes, flatulence (gas buildup) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (heartburn).”
CDC data has signaled an alarming rise in obesity rates among adults across several states in 2022. A total of 22 states — including Texas — have reached an adult obesity rate of 35% or higher. Obesity increases the risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart attack, and cancer.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, studies indicate that semaglutide benefits can plateau in terms of weight loss, with experts still advising that a healthy diet and exercise are important habits that can help fight obesity and cardiovascular disease.
