Research
Hormonal
GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide, tirzepatide) provide significant cardiovascular benefits, including a 20% reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with obesity and pre-existing cardiovascular disease but without diabetes.
If you have obesity and existing heart disease, even without diabetes, taking semaglutide (2.4 mg weekly) can significantly lower your risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death by about 20%. This benefit appears to come from the drug's direct effects on the body, not just from losing weight.
StrongSupportsVERY_HIGH confidence
this randomized placebo-controlled study of more than 17,000 participants with pre-existing cardiovascular disease and overweight/obesity but without type 2 diabetes demonstrated a 20% reduction in a composite primary outcome of cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction and stroke in those treated with semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly over a mean of 3.3 years (HR 0.80; 95% ci 0.72 to 0.90; p < 0.001) [25].
Why this rating
Based on the SELECT trial, a large, randomized, placebo-controlled outcome trial.
Source
Medical management of obesity: unlocking the potential
Angie S. Xiang et al. · Climacteric · 2025
narrative_review
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