Semaglutide Cuts Heart Attack Risk by 19% in Diabetes Patients

What This Study Found

Researchers analyzed four major clinical trials involving over 27,000 people to understand how semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy — affects heart health in people with type 2 diabetes.

The Key Results

People taking semaglutide had a 19% lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) — a medical term that includes heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular death — compared to those taking a placebo.

Specifically, semaglutide helped reduce:

• Cardiovascular death (dying from a heart-related cause)
• Nonfatal heart attacks (surviving a heart attack)
• Overall serious adverse events by about 9%

What It Did NOT Improve

Importantly, semaglutide did not show significant benefits for:

• Nonfatal strokes
• Heart failure hospitalizations
• Hospital admissions for unstable angina (severe chest pain)

A Note of Caution

The study also found that people taking semaglutide were 67% more likely to stop taking the medication compared to those on placebo. This is an important consideration, as stopping the drug may eliminate its heart-protective benefits. Side effects — commonly nausea and digestive issues — are often the reason people discontinue GLP-1 medications like semaglutide.

What This Means for You

If you have type 2 diabetes and are at risk for heart disease, semaglutide may offer meaningful protection against heart attacks and cardiovascular death. However, talk to your doctor about managing potential side effects to help you stay on the medication long enough to benefit.

About the Study

This was a systematic review and meta-analysis — one of the most reliable types of medical research — published in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders in 2025. It pooled data from four randomized controlled trials with 27,617 participants.