Andreu Palou

Semaglutide is known to reduce the risk of serious heart disease, but a study published in the European Heart Journal suggests that this effect cannot be explained by weight loss alone. The researchers analysed known risk factors for heart disease, such as body weight and waist circumference, in patients taking part in a clinical trial of semaglutide. Although the risk of serious cardiovascular disease was lower among those taking the drug, only half of this reduction could be explained by changes in these risk factors.

A Danish clinical trial involving 108 adults with obesity who were seeking treatment for alcohol use found that a weekly injection of semaglutide reduced the number of heavy drinking days. This decrease averaged about 12 days—50% greater than the eight-day reduction observed in the placebo group. The study is published in The Lancet and was funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the company that develops these drugs.