Weight Loss Drug Cut Heart Failure Risk by 38% in Trial

An injection pen of Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug, is displayed in New York City, US, December 11, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
An injection pen of Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug, is displayed in New York City, US, December 11, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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Weight Loss Drug Cut Heart Failure Risk by 38% in Trial

An injection pen of Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug, is displayed in New York City, US, December 11, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
An injection pen of Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug, is displayed in New York City, US, December 11, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Trial results show Eli Lilly's weight loss drug Zepbound reduces the risk of hospitalization, death and other outcomes for obese adults with a common type of heart failure, the company said on Thursday as it continues to build a case for the medication's wider health benefits.

The drug, also known as tirzepatide, reduced the risk of a composite of heart failure urgent visit or hospitalization, oral diuretic intensification or cardiovascular death by 38% compared to a placebo, according to Reuters.

The trial enrolled 731 patients across 10 countries who have heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and obesity.

The condition "accounts for nearly half of all heart failure cases, and in the US almost 60% of those impacted also live with obesity," Jeff Emmick, Lilly senior vice president, product development, said in a statement.

Lilly said the study also showed the drug significantly improved heart failure symptoms and physical limitations.

Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs. It is associated with a high burden of symptoms and physical limitations affecting daily life, including fatigue, shortness of breath, reduced ability to exercise and swelling of extremities.

Trial patients on tirzepatide were given weekly injections of the highest dose they could tolerate, up to 15 milligrams, and were followed for a median of two years.

The drug led to 15.7% weight loss in the combined population of people with and without type 2 diabetes, compared with 2.2% for the placebo, Lilly said. For the non-diabetes patients, weight loss was 13.9%.

Zepbound, also sold under the brand name Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes, is part of a top-selling class of drugs designed to mimic the action of the GLP-1 hormone, which helps regulate blood sugar, slow digestion and decrease appetite.

Lilly said the most common side effects for trial patients on tirzepatide were diarrhea, nausea, constipation and vomiting.

The company said it plans to submit the heart failure results to the US Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies starting later this year. The findings will also be presented at an upcoming medical meeting and submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

Novo Nordisk has reported data showing its GLP-1 weight loss drug Wegovy reduces heart failure symptoms.



Thieves Drill into a German Bank Vault and Steal Tens of Millions of Euros Worth of Property

 Police officers stand in front of the savings bank branch in the Buer district in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025 following a break-in into the bank's vault. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)
Police officers stand in front of the savings bank branch in the Buer district in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025 following a break-in into the bank's vault. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)
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Thieves Drill into a German Bank Vault and Steal Tens of Millions of Euros Worth of Property

 Police officers stand in front of the savings bank branch in the Buer district in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025 following a break-in into the bank's vault. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)
Police officers stand in front of the savings bank branch in the Buer district in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025 following a break-in into the bank's vault. (Christoph Reichwein/dpa via AP)

Thieves stole tens of millions of euros worth of property from safety deposit boxes inside a German bank vault that they drilled into Monday during the holiday lull, police said.

Some 2,700 bank customers were affected by the theft in Gelsenkirchen, police and the Sparkasse bank said.

Thomas Nowaczyk, a police spokesperson, said investigators believe the theft was worth between 10 and 90 million euros ($11.7 to 105.7 million).

German news agency dpa reported that the theft could be one of Germany's largest heists.

The bank remained closed Tuesday, when some 200 people showed up demanding to get inside, dpa reported.

A fire alarm summoned police officers and firefighters to the bank branch shortly before 4 a.m. Monday. They found a hole in the wall and the vault ransacked. Police believe a large drill was used to break through the vault's basement wall.

Witnesses told investigators they saw several men carrying large bags in a nearby parking garage over the weekend. Video footage from the garage shows masked people inside a stolen vehicle early Monday, police said.

Gelsenkirchen is about 192 kilometers (119 miles) northwest of Frankfurt.


The Year's First Meteor Shower and Supermoon Clash in January Skies

People look up to the sky from an observatory near the village of Avren, Bulgaria, Aug. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Petar Petrov, File)
People look up to the sky from an observatory near the village of Avren, Bulgaria, Aug. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Petar Petrov, File)
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The Year's First Meteor Shower and Supermoon Clash in January Skies

People look up to the sky from an observatory near the village of Avren, Bulgaria, Aug. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Petar Petrov, File)
People look up to the sky from an observatory near the village of Avren, Bulgaria, Aug. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Petar Petrov, File)

The year's first supermoon and meteor shower will sync up in January skies, but the light from one may dim the other.

The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks Friday night into Saturday morning, according to the American Meteor Society. In dark skies during the peak, skygazers typically see around 25 meteors per hour, but this time they'll likely glimpse less than 10 per hour due to light from Saturday's supermoon, The AP news reported.

“The biggest enemy of enjoying a meteor shower is the full moon,” said Mike Shanahan, planetarium director at Liberty Science Center in New Jersey.

Meteor showers happen when speedy space rocks collide with Earth’s atmosphere, burning up and leaving fiery tails in their wake — the end of a “shooting star.” A handful of meteors are visible on any given night, but predictable showers appear annually when Earth passes through dense streams of cosmic debris.

Supermoons occur when a full moon is closer to Earth in its orbit. That makes it appear up to 14% bigger and 30% brighter than the faintest moon of the year, according to NASA. That difference can be tough to notice with the naked eye.

Supermoons, like all full moons, are visible in clear skies everywhere that it's night. The Quadrantids, on the other hand, can be seen mainly from the Northern Hemisphere. Both can be glimpsed without any special equipment.

To spot the Quadrantids, venture out in the early evening away from city lights and watch for fireballs before the moon crashes the party, said Jacque Benitez with the Morrison Planetarium at the California Academy of Sciences. Skygazers can also try looking during early dawn hours on Sunday.

Wait for your eyes to get used to the darkness, and don’t look at your phone. The space rocks will look like fast-moving white dots and appear over the whole sky.

Meteor showers are named for the constellation where the fireballs appear to come from. The Quadrantids — space debris from the asteroid 2003 EH1 — are named for a constellation that's no longer recognized.

The next major meteor shower, called the Lyrids, is slotted for April.

Supermoons happen a few times a year and come in groups, taking advantage of the sweet spot in the moon’s elliptical orbit. Saturday night’s event ends a four-month streak that started in October. There won't be another supermoon until the end of 2026.


New Maritime Theater in Jazan to Host the City's Festival Opening

The site also includes various amenities, such as shopping zones, kiosks for dining, an art gallery - SPA
The site also includes various amenities, such as shopping zones, kiosks for dining, an art gallery - SPA
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New Maritime Theater in Jazan to Host the City's Festival Opening

The site also includes various amenities, such as shopping zones, kiosks for dining, an art gallery - SPA
The site also includes various amenities, such as shopping zones, kiosks for dining, an art gallery - SPA

The Jazan city theater on the southern corniche will host the opening ceremony of the Jazan Festival 2026 on Friday. This event will take place at a 35-square-kilometer site that features the Kingdom's largest maritime theater, SPA reported.

The theater accommodates more than 10,000 spectators and features five VIP areas. To ensure a smooth experience, the venue offers parking for over 9,000 vehicles, providing easy access during peak times.

Built specifically for the festival, the stage meets stringent safety and technical standards, providing a high-quality audiovisual experience against the stunning backdrop of the Red Sea.

The site also includes various amenities, such as shopping zones, kiosks for dining, an art gallery, a play area for children, a bird garden, and a regional museum, showcasing the region's history and culture.

This temporary maritime theater aims to provide a cohesive experience, integrating entertainment, culture, shopping, and services in one location, further establishing Jazan as a year-round destination for tourism and entertainment.