New guidance for stroke prevention includes Ozempic, other weight loss drugs
Experts this week identified new risks and issued updated recommendations for preventing strokes, a leading cause of death and disability in the U.S.
It's the first time in a decade that health experts at the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association have issued significant updates to their guidelines. Among the findings, the report published Monday highlights the impact of Ozempic, other GLP-1 drugs and hormones used in gender-affirming care and lays out sex- and gender-specific risks of stroke.
Dr. M. Shazam Hussain, director of the Cerebrovascular Center for the Cleveland Clinic’s Neurological Institute, said the study offers a chance to broaden people's education about strokes and "make sure our populations are healthier."
Ozempic, GLP-1s and the risk of strokes
In the updated guidance, the AHA and ASA recommend doctors consider using Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with diabetes and a high risk of heart disease.
The new recommendations draw on data released last year that found the weight-loss drug Wegovy could reduce the risk of stroke. According to the study, patients who took the drug and had a body mass index, or BMI, high enough to be considered "overweight" or "obese" saw a 20% reduction in risk of heart attack and stroke.
The report, funded by the drug's manufacturer Novo Nordisk, also prompted the Food and Drug Administration in March to approve Wegovy to reduce the risk of strokes, heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems.
New guidance for men and women
The report also makes recommendations specific to men and women for the first time since the AHA and ASA first began issuing guidance on stroke prevention.
“In the past, we lumped all people together and assumed factors that are there for men are the exact same in women,” Hussain said. But this was imprecise.
In women, authors say pregnancy, endometriosis and menopause may increase the risk of stroke. Hormonal contraception can also increase this risk, but research shows the rate of stroke among women who use it is lower than during pregnancy.
The AHA and ASA report also highlights the use of testosterone for men between 45 and 80 as a risk of stroke. Although studies have shown conflicting results about taking the hormone, the FDA still issued a warning about the potential increased risk of stroke and heart attacks in 2015, the authors note.
Authors say people taking estrogen for gender-affirming care may have an increased risk of stroke. The research behind this is also limited due to the scarcity of studies that include transgender and gender-diverse patients.
Adrianna Rodriguez can be reached at [email protected].
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