• Compared with tirzepatide, Wegovy^® (semaglutide) 2.4 mg showed a significant 57% greater reduction in the risk of heart attack, stroke or death from any cause, in people with overweight or obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) while on treatment¹
• Similarly, the study showed a significant 29% reduction in the risk for heart attack, stroke and death from any cause in the Wegovy^® users compared with tirzepatide users in all treated people, regardless of any gaps in their treatment¹
• The findings support growing evidence that the established CV benefit seen with Wegovy^® is specific to the semaglutide molecule and therefore cannot be generalized to the GLP-1 or GIP/GLP-1-receptor agonist classes¹

 -- Novo Nordisk presented data from the STEER real-world study of evidence gathered from actual patient experiences at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2025 in Madrid, Spain. The STEER study investigated the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) with Wegovy^® (semaglutide) 2.4 mg compared with tirzepatide treatment in people with overweight or obesity and established CVD without diabetes.¹

Compared with tirzepatide, Wegovy^® showed a significant 57% greater risk reduction for heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular-related death or death from any cause, in people with overweight or obesity and CVD, while on treatment with no treatment gaps more than 30 days. There were 15 (0.1%) of these cardiovascular events recorded with Wegovy^®, and 39 events (0.4%) were recorded with tirzepatide. The average follow-up duration was 3.8 months for the Wegovy^® group and 4.3 months for the tirzepatide group.¹ 

In all treated people, regardless of any gaps in their treatment, Wegovy^® showed a significant 29% risk reduction for heart attack, stroke and death from any cause compared with tirzepatide (over an average follow-up of 8.3 months for Wegovy^® and 8.6 months for tirzepatide). There were 56 (0.5%) of these cardiovascular events recorded with Wegovy^®, and 83 events (0.8%) were recorded with tirzepatide.¹

"In the STEER study, patients using Wegovy^® had greater cardiovascular improvements compared to tirzepatide, indicating that the same CV benefit cannot be generalized across other molecules in the GLP-1 or GIP/GLP-1 classes and may come specifically from the semaglutide molecule," said Anna Windle, Senior Vice President, Clinical Development, Medical and Regulatory Affairs at Novo Nordisk. "Real-world studies, like STEER, provide us with important insights into how treatments may serve patients outside of controlled clinical trials as we continue to learn more about the benefits of Wegovy^® beyond weight management."

Additionally, in all treated people, regardless of any gaps in their treatment, people treated with Wegovy^® experienced fewer events of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular-related death than people treated with tirzepatide.¹

It is important to note that semaglutide injection 2.4 mg contains a Boxed Warning for possible thyroid tumors, including cancer and should not be used in those with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). The most common side effects include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach (abdomen) pain, headache, tiredness (fatigue), upset stomach, dizziness, feeling bloated, belching, low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, gas, stomach flu, heartburn, and runny nose or sore throat.

References

1. Wilson L, Zhao Z, Divino V, et al. Semaglutide is associated with lower risk of cardiovascular events compared with tirzepatide in patients with overweight or obesity and ASCVD and without diabetes in routine clinical practice. Oral presentation presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2025; 29 August–01 September 2025; IFEMA Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
2. World Heart Federation. World Heart Report 2023: Confronting the World's Number One Killer. Available at: https://world-heart-federation.org/wp-content/uploads/World-Heart-Report-2023.pdf. Last accessed: July 2025.
3. Haidar A and Horwich T. Obesity, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, and Cardiovascular Disease. Curr Cardiol Rep. 2023;25:1565–1571.
4. Zizza C, Herring AH, Stevens J, et al. Length of Hospital Stays Among Obese Individuals. Am J Public Health. 2004;94:1587–1591.
5. Raisi-Estabragh Z, Kobo O, Mieres JH, et al. Racial Disparities in Obesity-Related Cardiovascular Mortality in the United States: Temporal Trends From 1999 to 2020. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023;12: e028409.
6. Collaborators GBDO, Afshin A, Forouzanfar MH, et al. Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity in 195 Countries over 25 Years. N Engl J Med. 2017;377:13–27.
7. Blonde L, Khunti K, Harris SB, et al. Interpretation and Impact of Real-World Clinical Data for the Practicing Clinician. Adv Ther. 2018;35:1763–1774.
8. Lincoff AM, Brown-Frandsen K, Colhoun HM, et al. Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2023;389:2221–2232.
9. Zhao Z, Song J, Faurby M, et al. Lower Risk of MACE and All-Cause Death in Patients Initiated on Semaglutide 2.4 mg in Routine Clinical Care: Results from the SCORE Study (Semaglutide Effects on Cardiovascular Outcomes in People with Overweight or Obesity in the Real World). Moderated poster presentation presented at the American College of Cardiology Scientific Session & Expo 2025; 29–31 March 2025; McCormick Place Convention Center, Chicago, US. Presentation 947-13.
10. Wegovy^® Prescribing information. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2024/215256s015lbl.pdf. Last accessed: August 2025.