Key Summary
- Popular GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may reduce heart tissue damage after a heart attack.
- Early research suggests they improve blood flow and lower post-attack complications.
- The British Heart Foundation-funded study is animal-based while human trials are still needed.
Popular weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy can reduce the risk of tissue damage after a heart attack and improve recovery chances, says an early-stage study funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and conducted by the University College London and University of Bristol.
The GLP-1 drugs already popular for lowering the risk of heart attack and stroke is now found to protect the patients even after heart attack, reported The Guardian.
The study’s lead author, Dr Svetlana Mastitskaya, told the daily that she encourages the paramedics to prescribe these drugs for their heart attack patients.
Many of these patients have tiny blood vessels in the heart that remains narrow even after treatment, leading to a “no-reflow” situation, and resulting in post-heart attack complications.
The GLP-1 medicines have been found to be prevent this risk by boosting blood flow.
However, as the tissue damage prevention was tested on animals, more detailed studies in humans and clinical trials are needed.
