A recent study shows that semaglutide, a medication already known for its heart benefits, may also help reduce the number of hospital visits for people with obesity and heart disease.
The study, led by Dr. Stephen J. Nicholls and his team at Monash University in Australia, was published in JAMA Cardiology. It looked at how semaglutide affected hospital admissions in people who are overweight or obese and have existing heart problems but do not have diabetes.
The research was part of a large clinical trial called the SELECT study. It included 17,604 patients aged 45 and older who had heart disease and a body mass index (BMI) of 27 or more.
These participants did not have diabetes, which allowed researchers to focus on people whose health risks were mostly linked to weight and heart issues. From October 2018 to March 2021, the patients were randomly given either a once-weekly injection of semaglutide (2.4 mg) or a placebo. The participants were followed for an ave…
The results were promising. During the study, there were 11,287 hospital admissions across all participants. Those who received semaglutide had fewer total hospital visits for any reason, with 18.3 hospitalizations per 100 patient-years compared to 20.4 in the placebo group.
This means the people taking semaglutide were hospitalized less often. They also had fewer hospital visits due to serious health problems, with a rate of 15.2 compared to 17.1 in the placebo group.
Semaglutide also helped reduce how long people stayed in the hospital. Those taking the medication spent 157.2 days in the hospital per 100 patient-years, compared to 176.2 days for those taking the placebo. For serious health issues, the numbers were 137.6 versus 153.9 days. In both cases, patients on semaglutide spent less time in the hospital.
Importantly, the benefits of semaglutide were seen across different groups of patients. Whether the patients were older or younger, male or female, or had different BMIs, the reduction in hospital visits remained consistent.
This suggests that semaglutide may be helpful for a wide range of people who are overweight or obese and at high risk for heart disease.
The researchers say these results build on previous findings showing that semaglutide can reduce major heart problems, such as heart attacks and strokes. Now, they’ve shown that the drug may also reduce the overall burden on patients and health care systems by lowering the number and length of hospital stays.
This new information could make semaglutide an even more valuable option for people with heart disease and obesity. While it’s already used to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes, its potential to improve heart health and reduce hospital visits could have a big impact on both patients and the broader health care system.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about top 10 foods for a healthy heart, and how to eat right for heart rhythm disorders.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how to eat your way to cleaner arteries, and salt and heart health: does less really mean more?
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
