Wegovy has many benefits besides weight loss. For some patients, Wegovy can reduce cardiovascular risk, improve blood sugar control, and treat a serious form of fatty liver disease. Research has also found reductions in inflammatory markers, heart failure symptoms, alcohol cravings, and knee pain, along with improvements in kidney outcomes and mobility.
These benefits do not apply equally to everyone. Some are now additional FDA-approved uses, while others remain areas of continuing research. Many are also connected, at least partly, to weight loss.
1. Reduce cardiovascular risk
Cardiovascular risk reduction is an FDA-approved use of Wegovy in adults who have established cardiovascular disease and are either overweight or obese.
The evidence comes from SELECT, a randomized clinical trial that included 17,604 adults aged 45 or older. Every participant had established cardiovascular disease and a body mass index of at least 27. None had diabetes when the trial began.
Over an average follow-up period of 39.8 months, cardiovascular death, nonfatal heart attack, or nonfatal stroke occurred in:
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- 6.5% of participants treated with semaglutide
- 8.0% of participants given a placebo
This represented a 20% relative reduction and a 1.5 percentage-point absolute reduction in risk. Participants continued to receive standard care for cardiovascular disease, including treatment for blood pressure and cholesterol when needed. The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and led the FDA to approve Wegovy for cardiovascular risk reduction in this specific population.
2. Treat MASH with liver fibrosis
MASH, or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, is a progressive liver disease in which fat accumulation is accompanied by inflammation and liver cell damage. Over time, it can cause fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer.
Wegovy injection is FDA-approved for adults with noncirrhotic MASH and moderate to advanced fibrosis, corresponding to stages F2 to F3.
In the ongoing phase 3 ESSENCE trial, 800 participants were included in a planned analysis after 72 weeks. Liver biopsy results showed:
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- 63% of patients receiving Wegovy had resolution of MASH without worsening fibrosis, compared with 34% receiving placebo
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- 37% of patients receiving Wegovy had an improvement of at least one fibrosis stage without worsening MASH, compared with 22% receiving placebo
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- 33% achieved both MASH resolution and fibrosis improvement, compared with 16% receiving placebo
These findings are summarized in the FDA’s announcement about the MASH approval.
The approval was granted through the accelerated approval pathway. The biopsy results were considered convincing enough to support earlier approval, while the trial continues to determine whether Wegovy reduces outcomes such as liver failure, transplantation, and death.
3. Lower blood sugar
Wegovy can lower blood sugar. Semaglutide stimulates insulin secretion and reduces glucagon secretion when glucose is elevated. These actions help move glucose out of the bloodstream and reduce the amount released by the liver.
In the SELECT trial, participants did not have diabetes at enrollment, although approximately two-thirds had prediabetes. A separate SELECT analysis published in Diabetes Care examined blood sugar outcomes over time.
At week 156:
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- 69.5% of participants taking semaglutide had an HbA1c below the prediabetes range, compared with 35.8% taking placebo
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- 1.5% of participants taking semaglutide reached the laboratory threshold for diabetes, compared with 6.9% taking placebo
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- Average HbA1c was about 0.3 percentage points lower with semaglutide
HbA1c reflects average blood glucose over roughly two to three months. The study used an HbA1c of at least 6.5% as the biochemical threshold for diabetes.
Wegovy is not FDA-approved specifically to improve glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. Ozempic, which also contains semaglutide, has that indication.
People taking insulin or medications that increase insulin secretion, such as sulfonylureas, may have a higher risk of hypoglycemia when Wegovy is added. Blood glucose should be monitored before and during treatment in patients with diabetes. People with diabetic retinopathy may also need eye monitoring because rapid improvement in blood sugar can temporarily worsen retinopathy.
4. Reduce inflammation
Wegovy may reduce some markers of inflammation. But it is not approved as a general treatment for inflammatory or autoimmune diseases.
C-reactive protein, or CRP, is a blood marker that tends to rise when inflammation is present. Exploratory analyses of the STEP 1, STEP 2, and STEP 3 randomized trials found that semaglutide 2.4 mg reduced CRP at 68 weeks compared with placebo by:
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- 44% in STEP 1
- 39% in STEP 2
- 48% in STEP 3
The findings were published in EClinicalMedicine. Reductions in CRP occurred alongside reductions in body weight, waist circumference, fasting glucose, insulin, and insulin resistance.
Another trial studied 529 people who had obesity and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. After 52 weeks, CRP fell by 43.5% with semaglutide and 7.3% with placebo. Participants taking semaglutide also experienced greater improvement in heart failure symptoms and physical function.
These results support an effect on inflammation associated with obesity and metabolic disease. They do not prove that Wegovy can treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, or autoimmune disorders.
Researchers are still working to determine how much of the CRP reduction comes directly from semaglutide and how much results from weight loss and improvements in metabolic health.
5. Improved heart failure symptoms and exercise capacity
The STEP-HFpEF trial studied adults with obesity and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. This form of heart failure often causes shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling, and limited exercise capacity.
After 52 weeks:
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- The heart failure health-status score improved by 16.6 points with semaglutide and 8.7 points with placebo
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- Six-minute walking distance increased by 21.5 meters with semaglutide and 1.2 meters with placebo
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- Body weight decreased by 13.3% with semaglutide and 2.6% with placebo
These results show that semaglutide can improve symptoms and physical limitations in people who match the trial population.
6. Less knee pain in people with obesity and osteoarthritis
The STEP 9 trial included 407 people with obesity and moderate knee osteoarthritis. All participants had at least moderate knee pain. After 68 weeks, the average reduction in the 100-point WOMAC pain score was:
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- 41.7 points with semaglutide
- 27.5 points with placebo
Physical-function scores also improved more with semaglutide. Participants lost an average of 13.7% of their body weight with semaglutide and 3.2% with placebo.
The study did not determine whether pain relief came directly from semaglutide, reduced mechanical stress on the knee, lower inflammation, increased mobility, or a combination of these effects. Wegovy is not currently approved as an osteoarthritis medication.
7. Kidney benefits
A prespecified SELECT analysis examined kidney outcomes in people who had cardiovascular disease and were overweight or obese but did not have diabetes.
A composite kidney outcome occurred in:
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- 1.8% of participants taking semaglutide
- 2.2% of participants taking placebo
This corresponded to a 22% relative risk reduction. The result was driven mainly by fewer cases of persistent macroalbuminuria and large declines in estimated kidney filtration. Kidney function also declined slightly more slowly in the semaglutide group.
The findings were published in Nature Medicine. Wegovy does not currently have a general FDA indication for treating chronic kidney disease. Ozempic has a kidney-risk reduction indication for adults who have both type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
8. Less craving for alcohol and other substances
Some of the unexpected benefits of Wegovy involve substance use, including nicotine.
In a 2025 randomized clinical trial, 48 adults with alcohol use disorder received low-dose semaglutide or a placebo for nine weeks. Semaglutide reduced the amount of alcohol consumed during a laboratory drinking test. It also reduced drinks per drinking day and weekly alcohol cravings. Among the 13 participants who smoked cigarettes, those receiving semaglutide also reported a larger reduction in daily cigarette use.
A larger 2026 trial included 108 adults who had alcohol use disorder and obesity. Participants received behavioral therapy along with either weekly semaglutide or a placebo for 26 weeks. Heavy-drinking days fell by 41.1 percentage points in the semaglutide group, compared with 26.4 percentage points in the placebo group. Average alcohol consumption also declined more with semaglutide.
Research involving opioids, stimulants, cannabis, and other substances remains limited.
Wegovy is not approved by the FDA for alcohol use disorder, smoking cessation, or another substance use disorder. People who need help reducing alcohol or drug use should discuss established behavioral treatments and FDA-approved medications with a qualified health professional. Wegovy should not be started or continued solely for this purpose without medical supervision.
9. Possible reduction in colon cancer risk
Some research has found an association between GLP-1 receptor agonists and a lower incidence of colorectal cancer. Several mechanisms could explain this. Wegovy can reduce obesity, high insulin levels, and metabolic dysfunction, all of which are associated with colorectal cancer risk.
One study examined electronic health records from more than 1.2 million people who were beginning medication for type 2 diabetes. Compared with insulin treatment, GLP-1 receptor agonist use was associated with a 44% lower risk of colorectal cancer. Compared with metformin, it was associated with a 25% lower risk.
The association was stronger among participants who had overweight or obesity. In that group, GLP-1 receptor agonists were associated with a 50% lower risk compared with insulin and a 42% lower risk compared with metformin.
A 2026 analysis of 17 randomized trials involving 36,415 participants also found a 66% lower relative risk of colon cancer cases among people receiving GLP-1 drugs.
10. Possible reduction in Alzheimer’s disease risk
A 2024 study in Alzheimer’s & Dementia used health records from more than 1 million people with type 2 diabetes who had no previous Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Over three years, semaglutide use was associated with a 40% to 70% lower risk of receiving a first Alzheimer’s diagnosis compared with seven other diabetes medications.
Another health-record study published in 2025 involving approximately 1.7 million people with type 2 diabetes found that semaglutide use was associated with fewer diagnoses of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias over three years. The association was strongest for vascular dementia.
The most recent evidence comes from the EVOKE and EVOKE+ phase 3 trials. Together, these randomized trials enrolled approximately 3,800 adults with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. Participants received oral semaglutide or a placebo. Semaglutide affected some biological markers associated with Alzheimer’s disease, but it did not significantly slow cognitive or functional decline.
Researchers are continuing to study whether GLP-1 drugs, including Wegovy, could influence dementia risk before symptoms begin. Possible mechanisms include improved vascular health, lower blood sugar, reduced insulin resistance, and changes in inflammatory signaling. At present, Wegovy is not approved to prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease.
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