{"id":36643,"date":"2025-03-12T07:00:43","date_gmt":"2025-03-12T07:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=36643"},"modified":"2026-01-15T18:28:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T18:28:11","slug":"weight-loss-medications-can-improve-heart-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/weight-loss-medications-can-improve-heart-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Weight-loss medications can improve heart health","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

In recent years, medications called semaglutides \u2014 which mimic the hormones in your body that regulate appetite, food intake and blood sugars \u2014 have transformed the landscape of weight management.<\/p>\n

These medications were originally developed for treating Type 2 diabetes, but have shown effectiveness in promoting weight loss. Additional health benefits continue to be discovered, including positive impacts on cardiovascular health.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese medications are showing that they are effective at treating heart disease, not just weight,\u201d says Valerie Sutherland, MD<\/a>, MultiCare obesity medicine doctor.<\/p>\n

A recent study called the SELECT trial investigated the cardiovascular effects of semaglutides. It showed a 20 percent reduced risk of major adverse cardiac events in people who are overweight or have obesity and<\/strong> have heart disease but not diabetes \u2014 since this medication effectively treats diabetes.<\/p>\n

The medications also show improvement in heart failure, blood pressure and metabolic-associated liver disease.<\/p>\n

The heart-weight connection<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The relationship between excess weight and cardiovascular disease is well known. Extra weight increases the risk of high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, abnormal blood lipid levels and atherosclerosis (the buildup of fats in artery walls).<\/p>\n

These conditions contribute to an elevated risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular events. Doctors have traditionally recommended weight loss as a way to improve these risk factors, but achieving and maintaining a healthy weight can be challenging.<\/p>\n

Because semaglutides promote weight loss, they also benefit the heart by:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Reducing cardiac workload<\/strong>: Every pound lost eases the burden on the heart, requiring less effort to pump blood throughout the body.<\/li>\n
  • Decreasing visceral fat<\/strong>: The medications appear to be particularly effective at reducing the abdominal fat that surrounds organs.<\/li>\n
  • Improving insulin sensitivity<\/strong>: By enhancing how the body responds to insulin, semaglutides help prevent or improve diabetes, a major risk factor for heart disease.<\/li>\n
  • Alleviating sleep apnea<\/strong>: Losing weight can improve or eliminate sleep apnea, which is associated with an increased risk of heart rhythm issues and heart failure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    \u201cWhen people lose the amount they\u2019re losing with these medications, we are de-prescribing other medications,\u201d Dr. Sutherland says. \u201cThey may not need a CPAP or blood pressure medication. Their overall health is better, and the disease burden is lower.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Get guidance from a trained provider<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    \u201cThese medications are powerful tools,\u201d Dr. Sutherland adds. \u201cLike all tools, if you use them wisely, you can reduce side effects.\u201d<\/p>\n

    The risk of side effects can be minimized and managed, but it takes some knowledge from an experienced provider. For instance, starting at a lower dose allows the body time to adjust. After about four weeks, the digestive tract can acclimate.<\/p>\n

    The SELECT study followed people on semaglutide for about three-and-a-half years and showed that weight loss is sustainable, as long as the person stays on the medication.<\/p>\n

    Dr. Sutherland likens these medications to blood pressure or cholesterol medications: If you take it and your numbers go down, you keep taking the medication; you don\u2019t stop.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThat\u2019s why I like to think of these medications as weight-management<\/strong> medications, not just weight-loss<\/strong> medications,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s a long-term commitment.\u201d<\/p>\n

    She also stresses the importance of support from a trained health care provider.<\/p>\n

    \u201cPeople have varied results with using these medications,\u201d Dr. Sutherland explains. \u201cTo get the best experience, you want expertise.\u201d<\/p>\n

    At MultiCare, providers supervise medication usage to ensure safety and effectiveness.<\/p>\n

    \u201cWe do blood work and have check-ins every month for three months, then about every three months for a year, then every six months thereafter,\u201d adds Dr. Sutherland.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In recent years, medications called semaglutides \u2014 which mimic the hormones in your body that regulate appetite, food intake and blood sugars \u2014 have transformed the landscape of weight management. These medications were originally developed for treating Type 2 diabetes, but have shown effectiveness in promoting weight loss. Additional health benefits continue to be discovered, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":451,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36643","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-weight-loss"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWeight-loss medications can improve heart health - MultiCare Vitals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A recent study shows semaglutides cut the risk for major cardiac events by 20 percent in people with heart disease who are overweight or have obesity.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/weight-loss-medications-can-improve-heart-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Weight-loss medications can improve heart health - 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