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A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the weight loss drug Wegovy may offer health benefits beyond just helping people lose weight. It particularly benefits individuals with Type 2 diabetes who also have a common type of heart failure called obesity-related heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. This is another study on the increasingly popular class of GLP-1 drugs.
Obesity Related Heart Failure
This type of heart failure occurs when the heart pumps normally but is too stiff to fill properly. Current treatments involve lifestyle changes and heart medications. However, there are no specific therapies approved for this condition. The study found that Wegovy helped these patients by reducing heart failure symptoms, improving physical limitations, and promoting weight loss.
Wegovy
Wegovy was approved by the FDA in 2021 for obesity. It has since been found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke in adults with cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight. This study involved 616 participants with Type 2 diabetes and heart failure. They were given either Wegovy or a placebo for a year.
Those who received Wegovy experienced a number of positive effects. They saw greater weight loss, improved heart failure symptoms, and better physical function. This was relative to those who received the placebo. They also had fewer adverse events. The results suggest that Wegovy could be an effective and safe treatment for a broad population, including those with diabetes and heart failure.
Future of Treatment
While the study has some limitations and requires further research, it indicates that treating obesity with drugs like Wegovy could be an important approach in managing heart failure and improving overall health outcomes for patients.
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