A large international trial designed to study heart health turned up an unexpected result: people taking semaglutide were less likely to die of COVID-19.
The finding came out of the SELECT trial, a study sponsored by Novo Nordisk that followed 17,604 adults with existing heart disease and a higher body mass index (BMI), none of whom had diabetes, for just over three years. The trial's original goal was to see whether semaglutide (the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic) could reduce cardiovascular events like heart attacks. The COVID-19 pandemic arrived partway through, and researchers began tracking infections and outcomes as an add-on.
What the researchers found
People taking semaglutide caught COVID-19 at a similar rate to those on a placebo, but their risk of dying from the infection was around 33% lower. The overall death rate from any cause was also about 19% lower in the semaglutide group, a result researchers described as unusual for a cardiovascular medication.
Most heart medications, like statins, reduce cardiovascular-specific deaths but don't typically move the needle on deaths from other causes. This trial's researchers noted semaglutide's effect looked broader than that.
Why this might matter
Researchers have theorised that obesity itself contributes meaningfully to lower life expectancy, and that treating it could have flow-on effects well beyond weight. One cardiologist involved in the trial suggested semaglutide's benefits might go beyond weight loss alone, potentially through reduced chronic inflammation, though the exact mechanism isn't yet understood.
What's next
Researchers are now looking at whether GLP-1 medications like semaglutide could offer similar protective effects against other infectious illnesses, such as influenza or RSV. It's an early and evolving area of research.
