Doctors say one new development may lead to more insurance companies covering the costs of popular weight loss drugs.

A recent study shows that the main ingredient in Wegovy, Semaglutide, can help reduce heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular issues by 20%.

For three years, researchers tracked more than 17,000 people with heart disease.

The study's lead author says this could create a new class of drugs focused on preventing cardiovascular incidents.

It's unclear if the new data will lead insurance companies to cover costs for this group of medications.

"Many people are paying for this medication out of pocket and it can be anywhere from $600 to $1400 dollars," says Dr. Neil Floch, director of bariatric surgery at Greenwich Hospital.

A similar diabetes drug, Mounjaro, was recently approved for weight loss.

Eli LIlley will keep Mounjaro as its brand name for diabetes, but it will be marketed as Zepbound for weight loss.

Zepbound is designed for people who are obese or overweight with at least one weight-related health condition such as sleep apnea, high blood pressure or heart disease.