VOA健康报道2024--US Approves Weight-loss Drug to Reduce Heart Disease Risk

US Approves Weight-loss Drug to Reduce Heart Disease Risk

　　From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.

　　In 2021, the U.S. food and drug agency approved the drug Wegovy for weight loss. Now, the Food and Drug Administration (or, FDA) says the drug can reduce the risk of death from stroke or heart attack in adults who have cardiovascular disease or are overweight.

　　The FDA approved a usage change requested by drugmaker Novo Nordisk. The change expands the use of semaglutide, the general or generic¹ name of the drug. Wegovy is the brand name given by the company that sells it.

　　The FDA based its decision on the results of a study that found Wegovy cut the risk of serious heart problems. The study also found that overweight patients with heart disease but not diabetes² were 20 percent less likely to experience those problems. Researchers compared the results of patients who took the drug with those who took a placebo³, or inactive injections.

　　Wegovy is the first medication approved to help prevent possibly life-threatening disease in overweight people, the agency said.

　　Dr. John Sharretts directs the FDA's Division of Diabetes, Lipid Disorders⁴, and Obesity⁵. He said, "Providing a treatment option that is proven to lower this cardiovascular risk" is good for public health.

　　Dr. Martha Gulati said the decision will change the way many heart patients are treated. Gulati is a cardiologist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The research also confirms that the new class of obesity medications are useful for improving health, not just losing weight.

　　"The hope is that insurers will start understanding that this is not a vanity drug," Gulati said. So-called vanity drugs are drugs that serve no medical purpose. Some researchers call them "lifestyle" drugs. Gulati estimates that nearly 70 percent of her heart patients could be eligible⁶ for treatment.

　　Wegovy is a high-dose version of the drug Ozempic. Ozempic is a diabetes treatment. The FDA approved the drug to cut the risk of serious heart problems in people with disease. The weight-loss drug costs about $1,300 a month.

　　Novo Nordisk has also asked European Union officials to expand the use of the drug for heart problems.

　　The FDA warned that Wegovy carries the risk of serious side effects. These included thyroid tumors and certain cancers. Other possible side effects can include low blood sugar. Organs in the body can be affected⁸ such as the pancreas, gallbladder, kidney, or eye. Another possible side effect is suicidal behavior or thinking.

　　The clinical trial, which resulted in the drug's approval, involved more than 17,600 people. About one third of them reported serious side effects. About 17 percent of the group that took Wegovy and about eight percent of those who received a placebo left the study because of reported side effects.

　　The new approval could mean that Medicare might increase coverage⁹ to the drug. Medicare is the federal health coverage program for retirement-aged citizens. U.S. law bars Medicare from covering drugs for weight loss alone. Recent estimates say nearly $3 billion was spent in 2021 covering Ozempic to treat diabetes.

　　Tricia Neuman is a Medicare expert at KFF, a nonprofit organization based in San Francisco that researches health policy. She said the change "... will open the door to allow more people on Medicare to gain access to Wegovy."

　　A spokesperson for the industry group America's Health Insurance Plans said private health coverage companies will consider the new guidance for Wegovy.

　　Drugmakers and activists¹⁰ for lower obesity rates have been pushing for expanded coverage. This includes legislation that would require Medicare to pay for the obesity drug. The cost of the drug needs to be balanced by reduced spending on medical care related to obesity and heart disease.

　　Another problem is a limited supply of the drug. The FDA said there has been a shortage for more than a year. Novo Nordisk officials said they are aiming to increase production.

　　For Gulati, the heart specialist, wider use cannot come soon enough.

　　"Everybody (is) waiting to get this medication," she said. "Lower the cost, do (not) be greedy and make sure the drug is available for use."

　　Words in This Story

　　cardiovascular –adj. related to the circulatory system including the heart

　　generic –adj. a class of product that is not sold under a brand name because its production and sale is no longer restricted by government patent protections

　　placebo –n. an amount of an inactive substance whose effect is compared to that of a drug that is being tested

　　option –n. a choice among several that can be made

　　vanity –n. the feeling of mainly paying attention to your own appearance, feelings and comfort

　　dose –n. the amount of a medicine needed to be effective

　　tumor⁷ –n. an abnormal growth that can be linked to cancer

　　eligible –adj. able to do or to receive a treatment

　　clinical trial –n. a medical test done on real patients

　　obesity –n. the condition of being severely¹¹ overweight

　　greedy –adj. wanting more for yourself than is fair or right

1 generic   

adj.一般的，普通的，共有的

参考例句：

• I usually buy generic clothes instead of name brands.我通常买普通的衣服，不买名牌。
• The generic woman appears to have an extraordinary faculty for swallowing the individual.一般妇女在婚后似乎有特别突出的抑制个性的能力。

2 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

3 placebo   

n.安慰剂；宽慰话

参考例句：

• The placebo has been found to work with a lot of different cases.人们已发现安慰剂能在很多不同的病例中发挥作用。
• The placebo effect refers to all the observable behaviors caused by placebo.安慰剂效应是指由安慰剂所引起的可观察的行为。

4 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

6 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

7 tumor   

n.（肿）瘤，肿块(英)tumour

参考例句：

• He was died of a malignant tumor.他死于恶性肿瘤。
• The surgeons irradiated the tumor.外科医生用X射线照射那个肿瘤。

8 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

9 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

10 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。