(MENAFN) A recent study shows that the weight-loss medication semaglutide lowers the risk of heart attacks and strokes, independent of how much weight patients lose, according to reports.

The research, published this week, suggests that drugs like semaglutide may offer cardiovascular benefits beyond just helping with weight reduction, and their use should not be confined solely to individuals with severe obesity.

Researchers examined whether participants taking semaglutide—the active ingredient in the weight-loss drug Wegovy—experienced a “major adverse cardiac event,” including heart-related deaths, heart attacks, or strokes.

The study involved 17,604 participants aged 45 and older who were overweight or obese. Conducted across 41 countries, half of the participants received weekly semaglutide injections, while the other half were given a placebo.

Previous analysis had shown that semaglutide reduced the risk of major adverse cardiac events by 20%, and researchers now report that this benefit occurs regardless of the degree of weight loss during treatment.

Experts suggest that the findings indicate the drug may protect cardiovascular health through multiple mechanisms, not just by reducing weight. The benefits of semaglutide appeared largely independent of weight loss during the first four months of treatment.

However, the study also found a link between reduced waist circumference and heart protection, with researchers estimating that approximately 33% of the drug’s effect on major cardiovascular events was mediated through a decrease in waist size.

MENAFN23102025000045017281ID1110237016