Ozempic and Wegovy, the new weight-loss drugs, have benefits for heart health as well, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Bringing down body weight is key to the improved outcomes.
On a 100-point scale commonly used to assess symptoms and quality of life for patients with heart failure, trial subjects taking semaglutide had a nearly 17-point improvement compared to a placebo group, which had an almost 9-point improvement. Patients taking semaglutide lost an average of 13.3 percent of their body weight, compared to a 2.6 percent reduction in the placebo group. They were also able to walk 20 meters (65 feet) farther in a six-minute test used to assess endurance and had fewer hospitalizations and emergency visits during the year-long study period.
I've lost about 50 pounds on keto the last few months, and while all that meat and eggs and what-have-you has me fearing for the ol' ticker, all the markers have improved: blood pressure down, resting heart rate down, less aches and creaks, increased energy. Losing weight has such a beneficial effect on health that it seems worth using potentially risky methods to accomplish it, though the history of this line of thought is…. alarming, to say the least.
