A popular class of drugs for weight loss and Type 2 diabetes might help lower the prevalence of heart disease, according to a study published Dec. 18 in Cell Metabolism.
In a study of glucagon-like peptide receptor-1 agonists — which include Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and about a dozen other drugs approved for diabetes or chronic weight management — researchers found the medications suppressed heart inflammation in mice.
The results lend clues to other possible treatment avenues for GLP-1s, including heart disease, kidney disease, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
"The anti-inflammatory actions of GLP-1 are likely in part organized through a subset of brain neurons," Daniel Drucker, MD, the study's lead author, who works at Mount Sinai Hospital-Toronto, told Bloomberg.