Heart disease, cognitive decline, addictions… promises of care and necessary caution – Libération

The new generation of treatments for diabetes and obesity is generating a lot of interest and hope. The benefits observed beyond weight loss and blood sugar control are promising, but still require patience before being supported by solid scientific evidence.

A panacea finally found? Cardiovascular, renal, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s… The list of ailments that could be treated by the new generation of treatments against obesity continues to grow. At the end of August, it was even the turn of “aging” to be cited as a possible target for these drugs. The hypothesis was cavalierly put forward by cardiologist Harlan Krumholz of Yale School of Medicine to a crowd of specialists gathered at the European Congress of Cardiology. In new research conducted by the American College of Cardiology, it was observed, in treated patients suffering from obesity, overweight or diabetes, that semaglutide (one of these new molecules for weight loss) would reduce in particular the risk of death linked to cardiovascular incidents and would improve the symptoms of heart failure. “It has benefits far beyond what we ever imagined. It’s not just about preventing heart attacks,”