Weight loss injections can decrease the chance of a coronary heart assault or stroke in overweight folks with heart problems by a fifth, a brand new research has urged.
More than 17,600 adults over the age of 45 in 41 international locations took half within the five-year research of semaglutide, which is bought as Wegovy.
Each affected person within the trial, carried out by pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk, had a physique mass index (BMI) of 27 or over and established heart problems, with no historical past of diabetes.
The danger of coronary heart assault or stroke in sufferers given a 2.4mg weekly dose of Wegovy, alongside normal look after the prevention of coronary heart assaults or stroke, was minimize by 20% in contrast with these given a placebo drug, researchers discovered.
Professor Stephen O’Rahilly, director of the MRC Metabolic Diseases Unit on the Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, stated the “long-awaited” outcomes “do not disappoint”.
“Simply put, a drug which acts to reduce body weight by targeting appetite, if taken long term by people who are overweight or obese, significantly reduces their risk of serious cardiovascular events, such as heart attack,” he stated.
“The obvious conclusion of these findings is that we should view obesity as a medical condition, like high blood pressure, where effective and safe drug therapy can contribute to reducing serious adverse health outcomes.”
Novo Nordisk stated it expects to file for regulatory approvals of a label indication enlargement for Wegovy within the US and the EU this yr.
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Martin Holst Lange, the corporate’s govt vice chairman for growth, stated there was pleasure concerning the “landmark trial”.
“People living with obesity have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but to date there are no approved weight management medications proven to deliver effective weight management while also reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death.
“Therefore, we’re very excited concerning the outcomes from the trial displaying that semaglutide 2.4mg reduces the chance of cardiovascular occasions.”
He added the trial “has the potential to alter how weight problems is regarded and handled”.
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It comes as well being specialists urged sufferers utilizing weight reduction injections ought to be ready to take them for all times.
Earlier this yr, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) really useful using Wegovy for adults with a BMI of at the least 35 and one weight-related well being situation corresponding to diabetes or hypertension.
The regulator stated it shouldn’t be taken for greater than two years, however research present that individuals who cease weight reduction injections can regain a lot of the load they’ve misplaced.
A group of weight problems specialists argued NICE steerage is basically based mostly on the price of the medication and that individuals who take them ought to be ready to take them long-term for treating their illness.
Content Source: information.sky.com