Research has already proven that the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy (semaglutide) can slash a person's odds for heart attacks and strokes, and now more data from the same trial suggests that's even true for very ill patients with heart failure.
The finding also helps clear up a concern around the use of Wegovy in these patients, added study lead author Dr. John Deanfield, of University College London .failure known as reduced ejection fraction, where the heart pumps less blood around the body," he explained in a UCL news release.
The new analysis looked at a subset of close to 4,300 patients from the same trial. All of these patients were deemed by doctors to have heart failure -- a condition where the heart's pumping action is impaired -- at the start of the trial.In total, 9.1% of patients who were taking Wegovy had a major cardiac event, compared to 12.3% of those who got "dummy" placebo injections.
There were some limitations on the study: The larger trial wasn't focused on heart failure per se, so another trial that does focus on this type of patient is needed, Deanfield and his team believe.
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