Two drugs intended to help people with Type-2 diabetes have been proven effective in helping people lose weight, and now a third benefit has been uncovered.
Semaglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, can reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular disease, according to a series of recent clinical trials.
The new information is based on eight random clinical trials that were repeated across the globe, according to a press release from UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Dr. Darren McGuire, professor at UT Southwestern’s Department of Internal Medicine and a member of its Division of Cardiology, has been studying the effect that Ozempic and Wegovy have on the heart.
“It’s really flipped the world of type two diabetes upside down. We’re using these drugs as one of the very first-line therapies and then for patients with diabetes who actually have cardiovascular disease,” McGuire said, reported NBC 5.
While the drugs were in clinical trials, researchers noticed that they decreased the risk of stroke and heart attack by as much as 14% in two participants with type-2 diabetes.
McGuire said this is because Wegovy and Ozempic stabilize plaque in the arteries.
Despite the high cost of these drugs, they could be very useful for people who want to increase their heart’s overall defense.
“Especially when these drugs become generic, it is a real possibility that we will expand their use into patients at high risk, both for cardiovascular disease and for the development of diabetes,” McGuire said.
Wegovy and Ozempic have become popular weight loss medications, as reported by The Dallas Express.
But the drugs are not without their problems, including several notable side effects, including diarrhea, gastrointestinal issues, vision changes, kidney problems, and others.
Dallas remains one of the most obese areas in the United States, as reported by The Dallas Express. Exercise and eating right, when combined with medications like Wegovy and Ozempic, could go a long way toward fighting the obesity epidemic.