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Medicare to cover Wegovy for those with heart disease

The weight loss medication has been found to reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems.

SAN ANTONIO — Wegovy is already being used to battle diabetes, and it comes with the popular side effect of weight loss. But Medicare will begin covering the medication to protect your heart. 

Sam Tejada, a functional health expert, retired firefighter, and author of "How To Win In Modern Wellness" told us, "Like most entrepreneurs, sometimes, you know, you get so busy, you you gained so much weight. And I needed something to kind of kick me off." 

Tejada recently lost as much as 40 pounds. He's also well aware of the connection between weight and heart disease. "When you're able to actually get that weight off and not have the high blood pressure, the high cholesterol, or type two diabetes from it, then you significantly decrease the chances of having cardiovascular risk," he said.

Dr. Alberto Chavez-Velazquez, an endocrinologist and diabetes specialist at the Texas Diabetes Institute within University Health added, "This is actually big news because, traditionally, Medicare has not had coverage or for weight loss. And it is important to make the distinction here that this is actually for patients with established cardiovascular disease."

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine looked at a three-year trial including more than 17,600 adults age 45 and older with heart disease. 

Each used either a 2.4 mg dose of semaglutide (the drug used in Wegovy), or a placebo. The results found the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks, stroke, or even death, was 20 percent lower in those who took Wegovy. 

Dr. Chavez-Velazquez said, "Especially with cardiovascular disease, a low sodium diet, a low cholesterol diet, has to be on top of exercise, a physical activity routine." Tejada added, "If you get off of the medication and you don't change your lifestyle, you know the different habits you have, you're going to gain all that weight right back."

For those with Medicare hoping Wegovy would be covered solely for weight loss, Medicare says it won't be for the foreseeable future.

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