WASHINGTON (August 9, 2023)— On August 8, Wegovy manufacturer Novo Nordisk said a company-funded study has shown the obesity treatment drug also reduced the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths by 20 percent. The full study has not yet been published yet. The company said the study will be presented at the American Heart Association meeting in November. Insurance coverage for the class of weight loss drugs that include Wegovy, is spotty. Medicare and most state Medicaid plans don’t cover the treatments even though some public health experts say obesity is a disease that should be treated.
William Dietz, the Director of the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness, at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, is available to comment on this issue. He can discuss the impact of obesity on cardiovascular health and the pressure for insurance companies to cover weight loss drugs.
To schedule an interview with Dietz please contact Rachel Larris at rlarris
gwu [dot] edu (rlarris[at]gwu[dot]edu)