Based on research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC), patients treated with a dose of 2.4 mg of semaglutide The chance of dying due to Covid-19 decreased by 33%. The study was conducted on more than 17,600 overweight or obese people with heart disease but not diabetes.
Benjamin Scirica, co-author of the study, said:
Patients receiving semaglutide had a 29% reduction in death from non-cardiac causes
He added that test weight did not appear to be a determining factor in the results.
Additional research published in JACC found that semaglutide improved heart failure and inflammation-related symptoms and reduced mortality in people with chronic kidney disease.
The results could give Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic, a major boost, whose market value is semaglutide-based treatments, i.e. practically boosted by the surging popularity of diet pills. The pharmaceutical giant has become the most valuable company in Europe, while the competition in the field of weight reduction is becoming fiercer worldwide. The discovery of new benefits of semaglutide may even open the way to additional uses.
Harlan Krumholz, professor at Yale University School of Medicine and editor of JACC, said this about the weight loss wonder drug in the light of the recent study:
I’m starting to think of losing weight almost as a side effect (…). These (medicines) really promote health.
The cover image is an illustration. Cover image source: Getty Images
Source: www.portfolio.hu
