Giving overweight or obese people Ozempic-like drugs could cut heart disease cases

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-03-12 01:00

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International scientists say giving overweight or obese people GLP-1RAs - the class of weight loss drugs that includes Ozempic and Wegovy - could cut heart disease rates by around 22%. The team used computer simulations to see what might happen if people with a body mass index of 27 kg per square metre or above (classified as overweight or obese) were routinely prescribed these medications. They used data on 21,720 people, whose likelihood of developing heart disease in the next 10 years was 13.82%. Their simulations suggested that giving them all GLP-1RAs would cut that likelihood to 10.83%, a relative reduction of 22%. The drugs appeared to be slightly more effective for men than for women. Giving overweight or obese people these drugs may be a good addition to other preventative health strategies, although proper clinical trials would be required to confirm this, the authors conclude.