On September 3, the Financial Associated Press reported (editor Zhao Hao) that a new study found that people taking the “weight loss miracle drug” Semaglutide have a lower mortality rate and a lower probability of adverse reactions after contracting the COVID-19 virus.
Last Friday (August 30), these results were published on the website of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), a leading international journal in the cardiovascular field. This research may suggest that Semaglutide has broader health benefits than previously expected.
Source: JACC official website
Researchers found that patients receiving a weekly injection of 2.4 milligrams of Semaglutide had fewer deaths directly related to illness compared to the placebo group (43 vs. 65); meanwhile, the all-cause mortality rate for severe adverse events related to COVID-19 was also lower in the Semaglutide group (46 vs. 69).
It is worth mentioning that this data comes from the well-known phase III trial “SELECT,” which began before the COVID-19 outbreak and has indicated that Semaglutide has potential effects in reducing the risk of serious cardiovascular diseases.
The paper’s co-author, Benjamin Scirica, noted that in his own research, the mortality rate from non-cardiac events in patients treated with Semaglutide was reduced by 29%. He added that weight does not seem to be the “main mediator” of this finding.
The JACC study also showed that Semaglutide improved symptoms related to heart failure, inflammation, and a range of other functionalities, while also reducing mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease, potentially pushing the drug beyond its “weight loss miracle drug” label.
In the United States, the 2.4 mg dose of Semaglutide is marketed under the brand name “Wegovy” (Novo Nordisk) for treating obesity and “Ozempic” (Novo Nordisk) for treating type 2 diabetes.
Harlan Krumholz, a cardiologist, professor at Yale University School of Medicine, and editor-in-chief of JACC, told the media, “I have come to think that weight loss is just a ‘secondary effect’ of this drug; it really promotes health.”
Source: Novo Nordisk official website
Krumholz further stated, “I primarily think about cardiac metabolic health, but Semaglutide may have other mechanisms that make us healthier. To some extent, it has helped us resist some adverse effects brought by COVID-19.”
However, he also pointed out that further research is needed to understand the drug’s effects on the human body. A study published in July in JAMA Ophthalmology reported a risk correlation between taking Semaglutide and developing non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).
(Financial Associated Press, Zhao Hao)
