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%.

In people who are overweight or obese but do not have diabetes, the medication semaglutide lowers the risk of serious heart-related events such as heart attack or stroke, and this benefit occurs even when some of the effect is not due to weight loss.

In obese adults with existing heart disease but no diabetes, a weekly injection of semaglutide at 2.4 mg is associated with a lower rate of serious heart-related events such as heart attack or stroke.

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.

For adults with obesity and heart disease but no diabetes, a weekly injection of semaglutide at 2.4 mg lowers the chance of serious heart problems like heart attack or stroke by 20% over about 3.3 years, regardless of how much weight is lost.

In adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, the medication semaglutide lowers the risk of serious heart problems and death by about 18% to 20% compared to a placebo, regardless of whether they were already taking mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists.