Weight Loss Drug, Ozempic’s Heart Health Benefits Revealed

Ozempic has become popular after many people credited it with their quick and safe weight loss, including Hollywood celebrities who praised the drug’s body-transforming properties. And now that experts have identified its additional benefits, the diabetes medication may become even more popular.

According to NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, studies have shown that semaglutide, available under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, may reduce the incidence of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death in patients with type 2 diabetes.

One continuing study has found that the medication can improve heart health and reduce cardiovascular events. Dr. Darren McGuire, a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and a member of the Division of Cardiology at UT Southwestern, spoke with the outlet about the early findings.

“It’s really flipped the world of type two diabetes upside down. We’re using these drugs as one of the very first-line therapies and then for patients with diabetes who actually have cardiovascular disease,” McGuire, who is part of the research, said.

“Especially when these drugs become generic, it is a real possibility that we will expand their use into patients at high risk, both for cardiovascular disease and for the development of diabetes,” he added.

Ozempic and Wegovy have been licensed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes as a means of controlling blood sugar levels and managing weight. The latter is also approved for weight loss, whether or not one has diabetes. Many users have posted their experiences with the medicines online, frequently claiming that they helped them lose weight. Meanwhile, other people reported regaining weight after stopping the medicine.

Beverly Haettich of North Olmsted spoke to FOX 8 about her experience last week. The 74-year-old diabetes patient began using Ozempic last year and has since shed almost 50 pounds, lowering her weight from 221 to 174 in just a few months.

“They told me it would be a bonus kind of thing because I really needed to lose the weight. And I found that it really is working well. I’ve lost about 50 pounds,” she said of the semaglutide drug she started taking to stabilize her blood sugar. However, she also noted that making lifestyle changes is also a must, adding, “You have to follow a diet; you can’t just eat what you want to lose weight.”

While Ozempic and Wegovy have already gained popularity, another medicine is about to take the weight loss industry by storm. As a weight loss option, Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide, marketed under the brand name Mounjaro, is considered to outperform the other two medications.
Mounjaro, like the other two medications, is approved for type 2 diabetes. However, the company is currently pursuing permission for its use as a weight loss medication. When used for weight loss, a study on Mounjaro discovered that it works similarly to bariatric surgery and produces better outcomes than Ozempic and Wegovy.

Cleveland Clinic cardiologist Steven Nissen, M.D., who is leading the ongoing study, is also confident that Mounjaro could provide cardiovascular advantages in addition to weight loss.

“There’s a very good chance that losing as much body weight as people will lose with this drug will actually reduce cardiovascular events,” he said.

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