The SELECT trial (Semaglutide Effects on Heart Disease and Stroke in Patients With Overweight or Obesity), a phase 3 study involving 17,604 adults with overweight or obesity and pre-existing CVD but no diabetes, revealed that once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 20% compared with placebo over a mean follow-up of 39.8 months, including cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and nonfatal stroke [48]
Insurance is not required
Perhaps most tellingly, the study showed that heavy drinkers were nearly three times more likely to be obese according to BMI measurements and over three times more likely to have obesity based on waist circumference
While this treatment is transformative for many, certain contraindications exist
Alternative pharmacological options with established safety profiles include: Semaglutide (Wegovy): Another GLP-1 receptor agonist with robust weight loss data and cardiovascular risk factor improvements (with cardiovascular outcome benefits demonstrated in the SELECT trial) Liraglutide (Saxenda): Daily GLP-1 agonist injection licensed for weight management Orlistat: Lipase inhibitor that reduces dietary fat absorption, available over-the-counter or on prescription Each has distinct side effect profiles and may suit different patient populations
E., Beckel, J