A large, long-term trial of the weight-loss medication Wegovy (semaglutide) found that people tended to lose weight over the first 65 weeks on the drug—about one year and three months—but then hit a plateau or “set point.” But that early weight loss was generally maintained for up to four years while people continued taking the weekly injections.
Last year, researchers published the trial’s primary results, which showed that semaglutide reduced participants’ risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular-related deaths by 20 percent over the span of a little over three years.
In the new analysis with yet longer follow-up of the same participants, researchers focused on their weight-loss trajectories and endpoints. People taking semaglutide saw their weight decline steadily over the first 65 weeks of treatment, then plateau. However, the initial weight loss was sustained through 208 weeks (four years) of follow-up.
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The study has limitations, most notably that it mostly enrolled older white males. Thus, the weight-loss findings may not be generalizable. However, the authors conclude that the study supports broad use of semaglutide in people with cardiovascular disease who also are overweight or have obesity.
