Good news about weight loss meds

Duringthelastthreemonths of 2022, health care providers wrote more than 9 million prescriptions for diabetes medications such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, as well as the higher-dose Wegovy, which is approved for weight loss. Since then, researchers have been tracking folks who take the medications and discovered some additional benefits.

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved Wegovy for prevention of heart disease in folks with obesity or overweight and a history of cardiovascular disease. That’s based on data from the SELECT study of more than 17,000 patients that found that, over three years, the active ingredient, semaglutide, reduced the composite risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke by 20%.

Another study, yet to be published, has found that in folks with diabetes and related kidney disease, Ozempic cuts the risk of kidney disease progression and cardiovascular complications by 24%.

Now, these meds do have negative side effects for some people — including pancreas problems, slow stomach emptying, nausea, and blocked intestines — making it impossible for a small percentage of patients to stay on the drugs permanently, as is recommended.

So, if you have obesity and heart woes or are developing Type 2-related kidney disease, ask your doctor if these medications may be a good choice for you — always in combination with a healthy life style that includes stress management, a plant-based diet and daily physical activity. For detailed ways to upgrade your lifestyle and 24-7 support online, check out LongevityPlaybook.com. To learn more about protecting your heart health, check out iHerb.com’s info at www.iherb.com/blog/ heart-health.

Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook. com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb. com, the world’s leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively.