Is Wegovy® good for your heart?

Reviewed by Dr Bhavini Shah

Wegovy® (semaglutide) has been approved for preventing serious heart problems in overweight and obese adults. This article will explain why this approval happened and who can use the treatment. 

What is Wegovy®?

Wegovy® is a weight loss injection containing the active ingredient semaglutide. It works by:

• Suppressing your appetite
• Making you feel fuller for longer
• Slowing down the rate that food leaves your stomach 

Wegovy® is available at LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor but not everyone can use it. It’s usually suitable for adults with a BMI of 30 and above, or 27 and above with a weight related condition, such as heart disease.

People on Wegovy® can lose up to 15% of their body weight over 68 weeks. Patients usually start on a low dose (0.25mg) and gradually  move upwards towards a maintenance dose (2.4mg) if side effects are tolerated.

Wegovy® and your heart

Carrying too much weight increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. It’s one of the reasons why your doctor might advise you to lose weight. A weight loss treatment, such as Wegovy® (semaglutide), might be part of your weight loss plan. As well as for weight loss, Wegovy® is approved for preventing heart problems.

How Wegovy® helps the heart

The trial was funded by Novo Nordisk, Wegovy®’s manufacturer. Results have been published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

• A large study of around 17,600 people showed that semaglutide injections reduced ‘major cardiovascular events’ by 20% over a period of 3 years.
• These events cause damage to the heart muscle, and include heart attacks, cardiac arrest (when the heart stops), and strokes.
• The study found that semaglutide reduced the risk of cardiovascular issues and stroke in patients who were obese with known cardiovascular disease but without diabetes. The drug was already known for doing this in diabetic patients.    

Approved by the MHRA

Because of the results of the trial, the UK’s Medicine’s and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved Wegovy® as a treatment for preventing heart problems in overweight and obese adults with pre-existing cardiovascular disease.

Wegovy® heart related side effects

Uncommon side effects of taking Wegovy ® can include increased heart rate and heart palpitations while you’re resting. Find out more about side effects. You should contact your healthcare provider if you have a racing heart rate. 

Can I get a prescription for Wegovy® to prevent heart problems?

Not at the moment – but it’s worth talking to your GP. Wegovy® is available at LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor as a weight loss treatment, but we can only prescribe if you meet certain criteria. You can read about the criteria here. Wegovy® is available on the NHS, but you will need to be referred to a tier three weight management service. The waiting lists for these services can be quite long.

References

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mhra-approves-glp-1-receptor-agonist-semaglutide-to-reduce-risk-of-serious-heart-problems-in-obese-or-overweight-adults
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/13801/smpc
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/conditions/cardiovascular-heart-disease
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2307563
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/cardiac-event
https://www.nejm.org/doi/suppl/10.1056/NEJMoa2307563/suppl_file/nejmoa2307563_research-summary.pdf