Illustration of semaglutide activating a key receptor, called GLP-1JUAN GAERTNER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/AlamyThe active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, a drug called semaglutide, can have direct beneficial effects on the heart within weeks, in addition to the longer-term benefits of losing weight, an animal study has shown.The finding suggests that people with heart disease who dont have type 2 diabetes or obesity, which semaglutide is primarily used to treat, might also benefit from taking this kind of drug. It may be that were missing a large population of people that could benefit, says Christopher Stone at Brown