Dr.ObesityMed said:Lp(a) and cardiovascular risk: a nuance that matters.
This is where I part company with the consensus forming above. The "earlier than weight loss explains" argument is weaker than this thread makes it sound. Blood pressure and inflammatory markers move fast and are downstream of early weight loss, so the mechanism is not as cleanly separable as the summaries imply.
sarah_nash92 said:My reason for being on this is cardiovascular rather than cosmetic, which puts me in a small minority in most of these threads.
SUSTAIN-6 was the first CVOT to show cardiovascular benefit with semaglutide, relevant to cardiovascular risk. In 3,297 T2DM patients with high CV risk: MACE HR 0.74 (95% CI 0.58-0.95, p=0.02)[1].
Notable: the retinopathy signal in SUSTAIN-6 (HR 1.76) was subsequently attributed to rapid A1C reduction in patients with pre-existing retinopathy — not a direct drug effect. This has been confirmed in longer-term follow-up studies.
[1] Marso SP, et al. N Engl J Med. 2016;375(19):1834-1844.
Dr.CardioMD said:The "earlier than weight loss explains" argument is weaker than this thread makes it sound.
Mendelian randomization evidence supporting GLP-1 pathway modulation for cardiovascular risk: genetic variants in the GLP1R gene region associated with lower BMI also show associations with reduced cardiovascular risk, confirming a causal pathway[1].
This "natural experiment" (people born with genetically higher GLP-1 signaling being leaner and healthier) provides orthogonal evidence supporting the pharmacological approach. When genetic epidemiology, clinical trials, and mechanistic studies all converge, confidence in the therapeutic approach is high.
[1] Zheng SL, et al. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2023;11(12):869-879.
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View ResultsA narrower follow-up, since the general answer is now clear:
How long did you give it before you decided it was working?
rachel_ABQ said:Mendelian randomization evidence supporting GLP-1 pathway modulation for cardiovascular risk: genetic variants in the GLP1R gene region associated…
Vitamin deficiency cascade with cardiovascular risk: after 6+ months of reduced food intake, I developed a subtle but important pattern: low B12 → elevated homocysteine → increased cardiovascular risk marker.
The connection: B12 is a cofactor for homocysteine metabolism. Without adequate B12, homocysteine accumulates. This is ironic — taking a CV-protective medication while developing a CV risk factor from reduced nutrition.
Solution: comprehensive vitamin supplementation and regular lab monitoring. Don't let the medication's benefits be undermined by nutritional deficiencies.