Semaglutide Shows Early Cardiovascular Benefits in High-Risk Patients Without Diabetes— Results from SELECT Trial Presented at European Congress on Obesity.
A widely used weight-loss drug may offer early protection against heart disease in people with obesity or overweight who already have cardiovascular conditions, according to new research presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO25) in Malaga, Spain.
The study, a secondary analysis of the international SELECT trial, found that semaglutide significantly reduced the risk of heart attacks and other major cardiovascular events in adults without diabetes — and the benefits appeared within the first six months of treatment.
“These findings demonstrate semaglutide’s rapid impact on lowering major cardiovascular risk,” said Dr. Jorge Plutzky, Director of Preventive Cardiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and a member of the SELECT Steering Committee. “For many patients, improvements began even before reaching the full 2.4 mg target dose and before substantial weight loss occurred.”
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, originally approved to manage type 2 diabetes. It has since been authorized for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or who are overweight and have at least one weight-related condition.
GLP-1 drugs mimic natural hormones called incretins. These hormones help regulate blood sugar after meals and signal satiety to the brain, reducing calorie intake and supporting weight loss.
In 2023, the landmark SELECT trial revealed that people with obesity or overweight — but no diabetes — who had a history of heart attack, stroke, or peripheral artery disease experienced a 20% reduction in major cardiovascular events when taking semaglutide, compared to those on a placebo, over a three-year period.
The new analysis builds on those results, suggesting that semaglutide’s cardiovascular benefits may emerge earlier than previously thought, potentially offering a new preventative option for high-risk patients.
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