Research
Hormonal
Semaglutide (2.4 mg weekly) produces superior weight loss (14.9%) and significant cardiovascular risk reduction compared to placebo and other anti-obesity drugs.
If you have obesity and cardiovascular risks, semaglutide (2.4 mg weekly) is currently the most effective FDA-approved pharmacotherapy, offering significant weight loss and heart protection. Start with the lowest dose (0.25 mg) and titrate up to manage side effects. An oral version exists if you prefer avoiding injections.
StrongSupportsVERY_HIGH confidence
In the STEP-1 trial... semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly led to 14.9% weight loss over 68 weeks vs. 2.4% with placebo... The SELECT trial... showed a 20% reduction in cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke... Semaglutide is also the only agent FDA-approved for CV risk reduction and adolescent obesity, with the added advantage of oral formulation.
Why this rating
Supported by large-scale RCTs (STEP-1, SELECT) with n>17,000 and significant p-values.
Source
The Obesity Drug Revolution: New Frontiers in Pharmacotherapy
Prabhash Chand Manoria · Cureus · 2025
DOI 10.7759/cureus.96713
narrative_review
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Tirzepatide (up to 15 mg weekly) achieves the highest mean weight loss (up to 20.9%) among current pharmacotherapies but lacks FDA approval for cardiovascular risk reduction.Strong
- Lifestyle interventions (caloric deficit and exercise) remain the cornerstone of obesity care but are often insufficient for long-term maintenance without pharmacotherapy.Good
Related findings · Hormonal
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- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
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