The weight-loss drug Wegovy reduces serious heart disease, the nation’s No. 1 cause of death, according to a new clinical trial.

Proponents of the drug describe this finding as an added bonus to the drug’s prescribed purpose: shedding excess pounds.

In a nation where 60% of the population is obese or overweight and where 600,000+ die from cardiovascular events each year, the question is how can we afford not to prescribe more of these lifesaving medications?

The answer is complicated, says podcast cohost Dr. Robert Pearl, who explains that the cost of drugs in the U.S. remains disproportionately higher than in all other nations. The price of Ozempic (another drug known to assist with weight-loss) costs five times more in the United States than in Japan and 10 times more than in most European nations.

When it comes to paying for drugs that could make a huge difference in our nation’s health, who’s on the hook? That question and many others are answered on this episode of “Medicine: The Truth.”

Also featured on today’s program:

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Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of a book about medicine’s invisible yet highly influential physician culture. Check out “Uncaring: How Physician Culture Is Killing Doctors & Patients.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders.

Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post MTT #76: Can Rx weight-loss drugs help prevent heart attacks, too? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.