With deaths from obesity-related heart disease reportedly increasing by 180% over the past 20 years, more research is being done to learn how GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound can address outcomes in cardiovascular health.
Here are five recent research findings:
- Among patients with Type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 medications reduced major adverse cardiovascular events by 13% when compared to a placebo.
- Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Eli Lilly's GLP-1 medications Mounjaro and Zepbound, reduced the risk of heart failure by 46% and the risk of both heart failure or cardiovascular death by 38% among individuals with obesity.
- Stroke survivors who took GLP-1 or SGLT2 medications had a 74% lower risk of death and an 84% lower risk of heart attack compared to patients who did not take either medication.
- The death rate among stroke survivors who took either a GLP-1 or an SGLT2 was 11.8% and the heart attack rate was 1.5%, compared to 54% and 6.1%, respectively, for patients who did not take either medication.
- Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 medications Ozempic and Wegovy, reduced annual healthcare costs by $7,502 for patients with overweight or obesity, and by $9,276 for patients with heart failure or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.