The short answer
SELECT found fewer major cardiovascular events with semaglutide than placebo in people who already had cardiovascular disease, overweight or obesity, and no diabetes.
Who took part?
The trial enrolled 17,604 adults aged 45 or older. Participants received weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg or placebo, with average follow-up of about 40 months.
Percent of participants; mean follow-up 39.8 months
Original chart based on the study. Values are reported group results.
| Group or measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Semaglutide | 6.5% |
| Placebo | 8.0% |
What happened?
The combined outcome—cardiovascular death, nonfatal heart attack or nonfatal stroke—occurred in 6.5% with semaglutide and 8.0% with placebo.
That is an observed difference of 1.5 percentage points. The study’s time-to-event analysis reported a hazard ratio of 0.80; this is different from saying everyone’s personal risk fell by 20 percentage points.
Adverse events caused permanent treatment discontinuation in 16.6% versus 8.2%.
Why it matters
The trial measured health events beyond weight. Its findings apply to people with existing cardiovascular disease; it did not establish the same benefit for everyone beginning a weight-loss journey. The SELECT weight analysis examines weight outcomes separately.
Sources
Lincoff and colleagues, New England Journal of Medicine, 2023. Funded by Novo Nordisk. Read the study.