Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy Potentially Causing Heart Failure According to Study

Publish Date : 11/22/2024

Recent studies highlight semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist used for weight loss and cardiovascular benefits, may lead to unintended reductions in skeletal and cardiac muscle mass, raising concerns about its long-term effects, especially for patients with or at risk for heart failure.

Key Findings:

1. Body Weight and Muscle Loss:
   • Mice treated with semaglutide experienced significant weight loss (~30%) and a reduction in fat mass (~65%).
   • Skeletal muscle mass decreased by 8.2% in lean mice, consistent with prior findings in obese mice.
2. Cardiac Muscle Impact:
   • Semaglutide reduced left ventricular (LV) mass, heart weight, and cardiomyocyte size in mice.
   • These changes occurred without affecting cardiac function (ejection fraction) or fibrosis-related gene activity.
   • Cultured human cardiomyocytes treated with semaglutide also showed reduced size, suggesting a direct effect on cardiac cells.
3. Potential Risks:
   • In non-hypertrophic conditions, semaglutide-induced reductions in cardiac mass could potentially lead to long-term detrimental effects, such as exercise intolerance or worsened outcomes in heart failure patients.
   • However, in hypertrophic settings, GLP-1RAs have shown benefits in reducing excessive cardiac mass.
4. Implications for Human Use:
   • While the metabolic benefits of semaglutide may outweigh these risks in many cases, the study suggests that cardiac structure and function should be carefully monitored in patients using GLP-1RAs, particularly those with existing cardiovascular disease (CVD) or cardiac hypertrophy.
   • Further clinical studies are necessary to confirm these findings in humans and evaluate potential long-term effects.

Conclusion:

Semaglutide may have unintended consequences for muscle mass, including cardiac muscle. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring cardiac health in individuals using GLP-1RAs, especially as their use expands among diverse population

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