The analysis examined the amount of time before patients suffered major cardiovascular events – such as heart attack or stroke – or whether they developed heart failure.
After 20 weeks on the drug, 62% of patients had lost more than 5% of their bodyweight compared with 10% in a placebo group.
However, the risk reduction of heart attacks, stroke or heart failure was similar in patients who lost more than 5% of their bodyweight and in those who lost less than 5%, or gained weight.
Prof Deanfield said: “Around half of the patients that I see in my cardiovascular practice have levels of weight equivalent to those in the Select trial and are likely to derive benefit.”
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Prof Deanfield said the drug has a “potentially important place” in the treatment for obesity.
“There are many people living overweight or with obesity, who have struggled to improve their weight, and these drugs, for that reason alone, produce an important clinical opportunity,” he said.
“But these are drugs that will also improve their background medical problems. That really is quite exciting.”
However, Prof Rameen Shakur, an expert in cardiovascular medicine at the University of Brighton, who was not involved in the research, said caution was needed.
“We are unclear on the mechanism and biological process by which semaglutide might reduce cardiac mortality per se.
“I don’t think it is commercially realistic to put whole populations on a medical therapy until you know how the biological system works.
“Interestingly, there remains a risk of pancreatitis and some rare thyroid cancers which is often not stated and this should also be monitored during the course of patient use.”
