The latest research found that people who took semaglutide have a 33% lower risk of death after being infected with COVID-19 compared to those who did not take it; Semaglutide not only reduces the risk of heart disease, but also has other benefits, such as improving symptoms of heart failure, inflammation, and reducing the mortality rate of patients with chronic kidney disease.
The latest research has found that taking the key active ingredient semaglutide in the best-selling weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy may reduce the risk of death after infection with the novel coronavirus. $Novo-Nordisk A/S (NVO.US)$ People who take the key active ingredient semaglutide in the best-selling weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy have a lower risk of death after infection with the novel coronavirus.
A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology last Friday showed that people who receive a weekly injection of 2.4 milligrams of semaglutide, although still at risk of contracting the novel coronavirus, have a 33% lower risk of death compared to those who do not take the medication.
This study also found that semaglutide's health benefits may go beyond reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Benjamin Scirica, co-author of the paper, pointed out that in his research, patients receiving semaglutide treatment had a 29% reduction in mortality from non-cardiac causes, and weight does not appear to be the "major mediating factor" for these results.
This large-scale study, conducted before and after the outbreak of the pandemic, involved over 0.0176 million overweight or obese patients with cardiovascular disease but without diabetes.
Other studies published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology last Friday further demonstrated that semaglutide can improve symptoms of heart failure, inflammation, and reduce the mortality rate of patients with chronic kidney disease. These findings are expected to further boost the stock price of novo-nordisk a/s, the manufacturer of Ozempic. In the highly competitive global weight loss drug market, novo-nordisk a/s briefly became the company with the highest market cap in Europe based on semaglutide-based therapeutic drugs.
Regarding the paper published last Friday, Harlan Krumholz, professor at the Yale School of Medicine and editor of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, said, "I have started to see weight loss as almost a side effect, meaning that these drugs are actually promoting health. My primary concern is cardiovascular metabolic health, but semaglutide may be making us healthier through multiple mechanisms, which in a sense suggests that it is helping us counter the adverse effects of the pandemic."
Despite the many health benefits demonstrated by semaglutide, caution is also needed regarding its potential negative side effects. A study by Harvard Medical School this year found that the use of weight loss drugs may be associated with an increased risk of a rare eye disease. Krumholz stated that further research is therefore still necessary.
Editor/Somer