What the trial was testing
The SELECT enrolled 17,604 patients with obesity. The study was sponsored by Novo Nordisk and tracked outcomes across the full group of patients who matched the trial's eligibility profile.
It was a large trial designed to confirm whether the treatment works well enough for wider use. Trials at this stage are designed to produce evidence regulators and physicians can act on — not just observations to follow up later.
What the results showed
20% lower risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death.
New England Journal of Medicine · 2023 · NCT03574597
These findings — that of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death in overweight adults with heart disease — were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and represent the headline result of the study.
Researchers tracked outcomes across 17,604 patients enrolled in the trial. The result was consistent enough across the group that the team felt confident reporting it.
What this means for patients
For patients with obesity, this result changes the calculus on what to ask their care team about. Whether it changes day-to-day care depends on factors like disease subtype, prior treatments, and where the patient is in their care journey.
What you can do now
Semaglutide (Wegovy) is FDA-approved both for chronic weight management and to lower the risk of heart attack and stroke in adults with overweight or obesity and existing heart disease. The most common side effects are nausea and stomach upset that ease over time. Ask your doctor or cardiologist whether you qualify.
Eligibility for the treatments mentioned above depends on specific test results and clinical history. Bring this summary, the trial name, and your most recent labs or pathology report to your next visit.
Open obesity trials
Effect of Watermelon on Gut and Cardiometabolic Health
The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effect of daily fresh watermelon consumption for 6-weeks on gut health, including microbiome diversity, gut barrier and immune function in young adults with overweight and obesity. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Will consuming fresh watermelon daily for 6-weeks will improve intestinal barrier health and increase microbiome diversity such as an increased population of beneficial 'probiotic' bacteria when compared to control participants consuming a low-fat snack? 2. Will consuming fresh watermelon daily for six-weeks will improve other health measures, including body-composition, blood pressure, blood vessel function, blood lipid profiles, and measures of inflammation, as compared to control participants consuming a low-fat snack for the same time period?
Bone Health After Bariatric Surgery in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes
Background: Bone fragility is a complication of type 2 diabetes. Diabetes treatments may ameliorate or deteriorate bone fragility in this population. Bariatric surgery is gaining in popularity in people with type 2 diabetes and may impact bone health. Objectives: To evaluate the impact of the most popular bariatric procedure worldwide (sleeve gastrectomy (SG)) on vBMD by QCT in patients with type 2 diabetes; Secondary aims: (1) to identify the determinants of vBMD after bariatric surgery in patients with type 2 diabetes; (2) to compare vBMD and its potential determinants after bariatric surgery with obese controls without diabetes as well as with controls without obesity and normoglycemia.