Recent research has highlighted the anti-inflammatory effects of semaglutide—a medication initially developed for diabetes management and weight loss.
Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury, infection, or harmful stimuli. While acute inflammation is a vital part of the healing process, chronic inflammation has been linked to numerous health issues, including:
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Type II diabetes
- Certain types of cancer
- Autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus
- Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases
That’s why it’s important to highlight semaglutide’s lesser-known role in modulating inflammation and its potential benefits in broader therapeutic applications.
(Read up on the semaglutide basics here.)
Inflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are linked to atherosclerosis, which can result in heart attacks and strokes.
“C-reactive protein (CRP) is produced by the liver. The level of CRP rises when there is inflammation in the body. It is one of a group of proteins, called acute phase reactants that go up in response to inflammation. The levels of acute phase reactants increase in response to certain inflammatory proteins called cytokines. These proteins are produced by white blood cells during inflammation.” (Read more from Mt. Sinai here)
Semaglutide and Inflammation—A Research Breakthrough?
A recent study, known as the SELECT trial, studied approximately 17,600 patients who were overweight or obese and had established cardiovascular disease, but not diabetes.
Of the subjects who received semaglutide treatments, 38% experienced a significant reduction in high-sensitivity CRP levels compared with those given a placebo. These results were achieved regardless of their baseline body mass index, statin use, cholesterol levels, etc.
What is of particular interest is that it wasn’t just the weight loss itself that reduced the inflammatory markers. According to researchers:
“(Semaglutide) significantly reduced high-sensitivity CRP early, prior to major weight loss and in those who did not lose significant amounts of weight.”
The reductions in CRP inflammatory markers reached approximately 12% at 4 weeks and around 20% at 8 weeks, even though weight loss was just beginning—just 2% and 3% of the subjects’ body weight. Even those patients who lost less than 2% body weight saw a reduction in high-sensitivity CRP levels.
Therefore, the preliminary conclusion is that semaglutide was associated with a reduction in high-sensitivity CRP levels, although the mechanism by which the reduction occurs is still not entirely clear.
Jorge Plutzky, MD, director of Preventive Cardiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, presenter of the SELECT trial at a recent conference remarked:
“Systemic, chronic inflammation is implicated as a potential mechanism and therapeutic target in atherosclerosis and major adverse cardiovascular events, as well as obesity,” and high-sensitivity CRP levels are an “established biomarker of inflammation and have been shown to predict cardiovascular risk.”
(Read more of the researchers’ comments here.)
Given its relatively safe profile and multifaceted benefits, semaglutide could be a valuable addition to the anti-inflammatory therapeutic toolbox in the fight to address a range of inflammation-related diseases, improving outcomes and quality of life for many patients.
As researchers also continue to study semaglutide’s long-term cardiac health benefits and safety, the outlook for this medication remains promising in achieving sustainable weight loss and improved cardiovascular health.
The experts at TCT (Testosterone Centers of Texas) can help determine if semaglutide is suitable for you and provide guidance on its proper use, potential side effects, and monitoring requirements.