FDA Approves Weight Loss Drug To Help Reduce Heart Problems In Adults

The FDA has recently approved a popular weight loss drug to help reduce heart problems in adults.

The FDA said Semaglutide could help decrease cardiac risks among patients with underlying heart disease.

Doctors said this is a significant breakthrough as 70-percent of the population in the United States is struggling with heart disease, which includes Oklahomans.

Dr. Usman Baber with OU Health has confirmed that a three-year study shows that patients who used Semaglutide and were not diabetic had a 20-percent reduction in their risks of heart attacks and strokes.

The medication also helped them lose weight, lower blood pressure, and improve their mood. However, Dr. Baber has advised that those who use the medicine must maintain a healthy lifestyle.

"If we really want to attain better health, which I think is the ultimate goal, we want people to not just live longer. But we want them to live better. We want them to live healthier. We want them to have a better quality of life. It's really a partnership between the different therapies that we're able to provide from a clinical standpoint, but also the patient," Dr. Baber said.

Dr. Baber said during the study, some patients had to stop because of common side effects like nausea, vomiting, and constipation.