The weight-loss drug semaglutide significantly reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke, even for people who lose little or no weight, according to a major new study published in The Lancet.
Researchers from University College London analysed data from more than 17,600 adults across 41 countries who were overweight or obese. Half received weekly semaglutide injections, while the rest were given a placebo. The drug, known commercially as Wegovy, lowered the risk of major cardiovascular events—such as heart attack, stroke, or death from heart disease—by 20%, regardless of how much weight participants lost.
While smaller waistlines were linked to stronger heart protection, with about a third of the benefit tied to reduced abdominal fat, the remaining effects were independent of weight loss.
Lead author Prof John Deanfield said the results suggest semaglutide benefits the heart through additional mechanisms beyond weight reduction. “It’s labelled a weight-loss jab, but its heart benefits are not directly related to kilograms shed,” he said. “This drug appears to act directly on heart disease and other conditions of ageing.”
Deanfield added that the findings could reshape how semaglutide is prescribed. “You don’t need a high BMI or dramatic weight loss to gain cardiovascular benefit,” he said, while emphasising the need to balance benefits against potential side-effects as use expands.
