Approved uses · FDA-approved for some products
What cardiovascular disease is
Cardiovascular disease covers heart attack, stroke, and the narrowing of blood vessels that leads to both. Type 2 diabetes and obesity each raise that risk, which is why cardiovascular outcomes were studied directly rather than assumed to follow from weight loss.
How GLP-1 medications work for heart disease
Some GLP-1 medications are approved specifically to reduce cardiovascular risk, not only to treat diabetes or obesity. That approval rests on trials measuring events such as heart attack and stroke, and the comparative cardiovascular evidence is where those results are collected. The effect appears to come from more than weight alone, including changes in blood pressure, cholesterol, and inflammation in blood vessels.
Approval is product-specific. One medication carrying a cardiovascular indication does not mean another does, which is a reasonable thing to ask your prescriber about directly.
A tool for this is being built
We have not built an interactive tool for this one yet. When it exists it will appear on this page. In the meantime the tools we do have cover protein, hydration, fiber, side effects, and comparing the medications, and our email updates are where new ones get announced.
Other approved uses
Type 2 Diabetes, Obesity and Weight, Sleep Apnea, Fatty Liver Disease, Chronic Kidney Disease.
Approval is specific to individual products, so a use listed here does not mean every GLP-1 medication carries it. Compare the medications to see how they differ, and take the question to your prescriber.