The weight-loss drug semaglutide—best known as the active ingredient in Wegovy—reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes even when patients do not lose significant weight, according to a major international study published in The Lancet.
Researchers from University College London (UCL) analysed data from 17,604 overweight or obese adults aged 45 and over across 41 countries. Participants were given weekly semaglutide injections or a placebo, with results showing a 20% lower risk of major cardiovascular events—including heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular deaths—regardless of how much weight they lost.
However, reductions in waist circumference, a marker of abdominal fat, were linked to improved heart outcomes. Scientists estimated that about one-third of the heart benefits came from shrinking waistlines, while two-thirds remained unexplained by weight loss alone.
Lead author Prof John Deanfield said the findings show semaglutide’s heart benefits go beyond weight reduction. “It’s labelled a weight-loss jab, but its benefits for the heart are not directly related to the amount of weight lost—it seems to act directly on heart disease and ageing processes,” he said.
Deanfield added that restricting the drug to only severely obese patients “doesn’t make sense” if the goal is reducing cardiovascular risk, though he noted the importance of balancing benefits with potential side effects.
The study suggests semaglutide could play a broader role in heart disease prevention, marking a major step in understanding how GLP-1-based drugs improve overall health beyond shedding pounds.
