Weight-loss drug cuts heart attack risk regardless of kilograms shed, study finds

The weight-loss drug semaglutide cuts the risk of heart attack or stroke regardless of how many kilograms people lose, the largest study of its kind has found.

However, shrinking waist size – a sign of less belly fat – was linked to better heart outcomes, according to the research.

The findings, published in the Lancet, suggest drugs could have wider benefits for patients beyond weight loss so should not be restricted to the most obese patients.

Researchers set out to examine the additional benefits of semaglutide, which is the main ingredient of the weight-loss drug Wegovy.

The select trial, led by University College London (UCL), looked at whether or not people taking the drug went on to suffer a “major adverse cardiac event” – including heart disease deaths, heart attacks or strokes.

Previous analysis of the data found that semaglutide reduced the risk of major adverse cardiac events by 20%. Researchers have now found the benefit was apparent regardless of how much weight people lost while taking the drug.

Academics said the findings suggested there were multiple ways the drug could benefit the heart, rather than the protective effect achieved solely by weight loss alone.

The lead author, Prof John Deanfield, of UCL’s Institute of Cardiovascular Science, said: “Abdominal fat is more dangerous for our cardiovascular health than overall weight and therefore it is not surprising to see a link between reduction in waist size and cardiovascular benefit.

“However, this still leaves two-thirds of the heart benefits of semaglutide unexplained. These findings reframe what we think this medication is doing.

“It is labelled as a weight-loss jab but its benefits for the heart are not directly related to the amount of weight lost – in fact, it is a drug that directly affects heart disease and other diseases of ageing.”

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Source: The Guardian, 22 October 2025