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Long-Term Trial of Wegovy (Semaglutide) for Weight Loss
A recent comprehensive trial of the weight-loss drug Wegovy, also known as semaglutide, revealed intriguing findings regarding participants’ weight reduction endeavors. Ran over an extensive period, the study spanned 65 weeks and revealed that individuals tended to shed weight during the initial phase—a time frame equivalent to one year and three months. Subsequently, however, participants reached a plateau or “set point.” Moreover, while the initial weight loss trend tended to stabilize after the first 65 weeks, it was found to be sustained over a remarkable four-year period in participants who adhered to the weekly injection regimen.
Data Analysis and Trial Design
The findings of this study, which were recently published in Nature Medicine, were gleaned from a fresh analysis of data sourced from the SELECT trial. The primary objective of the SELECT trial was an investigation into the effects of this drug on cardiovascular health. This trial, characterized as a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled endeavor, specifically targeted individuals with preexisting cardiovascular ailments accompanied by overweight or obesity, but who did not have diabetes. Impressively, the trial boasted an enrollment of 17,604 individuals sourced from 41 countries, with a significant majority being males (72%), white individuals (84%), and an average age of approximately 62 years.
During the course of the trial, participants were monitored closely as they demonstrated steady weight loss over the initial 65 weeks after commencing semaglutide treatment, which eventually plateaued. Nonetheless, this initial weight loss was notably sustained through the four-year follow-up period. On average, individuals receiving semaglutide treatment experienced a weight reduction of 10.2 percent, while their counterparts in the placebo group exhibited a mere 1.5 percent loss—a substantial treatment difference of 8.7 percent.
Comparative Analysis and Implications
While the observed weight loss in the SELECT trial was less pronounced compared to other semaglutide trials, it remains significant. A prior study published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2021 showed that individuals using the drug experienced a weight loss of 14.9 percent, as opposed to the 2.4 percent loss recorded in the placebo group—a discernible treatment difference of 12.5 percent.
The dissimilarities in weight loss outcomes between various trials have been preliminarily attributed to differences in design. The prior trial was intended to assess weight loss in participants actively seeking to shed weight, typically comprising a younger demographic. Moreover, besides semaglutide treatment, lifestyle interventions to facilitate weight loss were incorporated into the previous trial—a factor absent in the SELECT trial. Nonetheless, across gender, body sizes, and geographical diversities, clinically relevant weight loss was witnessed.
Conclusively, the study findings may be constrained by its demographic homogeneity, primarily comprising older white males. Nonetheless, the results suggest a potentially widespread application of semaglutide for individuals grappling with cardiovascular disease coupled with overweight or obesity. A broad question that subsequently emerges pertains to the optimal duration for individuals to remain on the efficacious albeit expensive drug.
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