Semaglutide might be better than other similar weight-loss drugs at protecting heart health in people who are overweight or obese but don’t have diabetes.

If you're obese and have heart disease but not diabetes, taking semaglutide might lower your chances of having a serious heart problem by 20%.

Even if you don’t have diabetes, if you’re overweight and have heart disease, a weekly shot of semaglutide can cut your risk of heart attack or stroke by 1 in 5 — and this benefit starts before you lose much weight.

If you're 45 or older, have heart disease, and are overweight but don’t have diabetes, taking semaglutide for about 3 years might lower your chance of having a serious heart problem by a small amount — about 1.5%. That means 67 people need to take it for one person to avoid a heart event, which gives a clearer picture than the often-shared 20% drop in risk.

Semaglutide helps people who are overweight or obese lose weight by making them feel less hungry and slowing down how fast food leaves their stomach.

Taking a weekly semaglutide shot (2.4 mg) for about a year and a half can help lower blood pressure, blood sugar, bad cholesterol, and body-wide inflammation in adults with extra weight but no diabetes—better than a placebo.