From Weight Loss to Heart Health: Wegovy’s Potential Benefits for Heart Failure

Wegovy (semaglutide) is widely known for its health benefits. But its impact may extend further than many people realize. It’s FDA approved for weight loss, but Wegovy has also been shown to have cardiovascular benefits for people with heart disease. Researchers are exploring whether it could offer another unexpected benefit: heart failure management.

Specifically, attention is turning to a form of heart failure that’s increasingly common in people with excess weight. So far, results have been promising. Here’s what you should know about Wegovy’s potential benefits for heart failure.

What is Wegovy?

Wegovy (semaglutide) is an injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It’s best known for helping people lose weight. But Wegovy also has a growing list of other benefits. These include lowering the risk of serious cardiovascular problems in people with heart disease and treating a type of fatty liver disease. Its active ingredient, semaglutide, is also available as Ozempic for Type 2 diabetes.

For weight loss, Wegovy targets the appetite center of the brain. It helps you feel full longer and reduces hunger. And it can quiet constant thoughts about food (“food noise”). It also slows how quickly food leaves your stomach, which can keep you feeling satisfied.

But Wegovy’s benefits don’t stop with weight loss. Research shows it can improve heart health even before significant weight loss occurs. This may be because Wegovy is also thought to help:

• Reduce inflammation

• Lower blood pressure and cholesterol

• Improve blood glucose (sugar) levels

• Enhance blood vessel functioning

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Wegovy has proven effects on weight and heart health. So researchers have been exploring whether it might also help manage heart failure. Having excess weight is a significant risk factor for one type in particular, called heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

The link between obesity and heart failure

HFpEF occurs when the heart pumps normally but becomes too stiff to fill properly with blood in between heart beats. This makes it harder for the heart to meet the body’s needs, even though its pumping strength (called ejection fraction) remains normal.

HFpEF and obesity are closely linked. In fact, most people with HFpEF are considered overweight or obese. When you have excess weight, your heart has to work harder to circulate blood throughout the body. Over time, this extra workload can cause the heart muscle to stiffen and become less flexible. This is one of the key changes seen in HFpEF.

But the connection between obesity and heart failure goes further. Excess weight often brings other health issues that increase the risk of heart failure, such as:

• High blood pressure, which increases the heart’s workload

• Type 2 diabetes, which can damage blood vessels and heart tissue

• Obstructive sleep apnea and low oxygen levels, which increase stress on the heart

• Chronic inflammation, which may affect how the heart muscle functions and repairs itself

Given these connections, it makes sense why Wegovy could be a potential treatment.

EXPERT PICKS: WHAT TO READ NEXT

• Is Wegovy good for your heart? Learn about Wegovy’s cardiovascular benefits for people with heart disease.

• Compare semaglutide injections: See what experts say about the similarities and differences between Ozempic and Wegovy, two brand-name versions of semaglutide.

• How to save: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications like Wegovy don’t need to break the bank. Explore ways to save on your prescription with this GLP-1 savings guide.

Can Wegovy help with heart failure?

Likely, yes. Studies suggest that Wegovy may benefit people with HFpEF, especially those with a larger body size.

Several clinical trials have looked at Wegovy’s effects in adults with HFpEF, both with and without diabetes. A pooled analysis also evaluated its impact on more serious heart failure outcomes, such as hospitalizations and cardiovascular death. During these studies, people using Wegovy:

• Lost a significant amount of weight

• Reported improvements in heart failure symptoms

• Showed better physical function and exercise ability

• Had a lower risk of worsening heart failure events (such as hospitalization)

• Had a lower risk of cardiovascular death or heart failure events

These findings suggest that Wegovy may help relieve symptoms and improve outcomes for people with HFpEF and excess weight. Wegovy isn’t approved for heart failure, but it could be by the end of 2025.

How would Wegovy compare with other heart failure medications?

Until 2021, people living with HFpEF had no FDA-approved treatment options. Now, three medications are approved to lower the risk of cardiovascular death and heart-failure-related hospitalization in adults with HFpEF. But each has slightly different benefits:

• Jardiance (empagliflozin): Benefits extend to adults with heart failure, no matter their ejection fraction. It’s also used to treat several overlapping conditions, including Type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

• Entresto (sacubitril / valsartan): May have potential benefits for HFpEF when combined with a medication like Jardiance. But people with heart failure with a low ejection fraction benefit the most.

• Kerendia (finerenone): This is the newest option for HFpEF. It’s also approved for CKD in people with Type 2 diabetes.

Wegovy’s ability to promote weight loss is what sets it apart. (Obesity is a major driver of this type of heart failure.) Unlike current medications, it was studied specifically in people with HFpEF who were considered obese. Wegovy not only led to significant weight loss but also improved heart failure symptoms and physical function in this population.

Traditional HFpEF medications can improve symptoms and reduce hospitalizations, but they don’t address obesity directly. Wegovy may offer a dual benefit by also targeting excess weight alongside heart failure symptoms.

Who could benefit from Wegovy for heart failure?

Wegovy isn’t approved to treat heart failure. But clinical trials suggest it may be helpful for certain groups of people. Those who might benefit include:

• Adults with HFpEF and a larger body size: Wegovy can improve symptoms and exercise ability and reduce hospitalizations in this group.

• People who haven’t responded well to other heart failure medications: Wegovy could be an add-on if you have HFpEF and struggle with symptoms or physical limitations.

• Adults with heart disease and excess weight: Wegovy is approved to lower the risk of serious cardiovascular problems in this population. Many people in this group may also have or are at risk of heart failure, and studies show benefits for both conditions.

Think you might benefit from Wegovy? Your healthcare team can help determine if it’s a good option for you.

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Written by:

Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD

Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD, is the director of pharmacy content for GoodRx. She has over a decade of experience as a pharmacist and has worked in clinical, academic, and administrative roles.

Reviewed by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. A pulmonologist and hospitalist, she practiced and taught clinical medicine at hospitals in London for a decade before entering a career in health education and technology.

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