The weight loss jab Wegovy will soon be prescribed on the NHS to over 1 million people with cardiovascular disease to help prevent them from having a deadly heart attack or stroke, the health service has announced.
Clinical trials have shown that semaglutide – the active ingredient in weight loss jabs Wegovy and Ozempic - can help reduce the risk of a dangerous cardiovascular emergency including a heart attack or stroke, independent of the amount of weight lost.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has said the NHS must soon start offering the drug as a treatment option to eligible people with some types of cardiovascular disease in England. NICE guidance also applies in Wales.
People will meet the criteria if they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 27 or more, and who have previously had a heart attack, stroke or severe complications due to peripheral artery disease.
The drug is delivered as a weekly injection and will be prescribed alongside a healthy diet and increased physical activity.
It will be used in addition to commonly used drugs, such as statins or anti-hypertensives, to further improve health outcomes of patients with cardiovascular disease.
Semaglutide is already available on the NHS in England as treatment option for people with obesity, when offered through specialist weight management services in line with current NICE guidance, and Ozempic is widely prescribed by the NHS as a treatment for people with type 2 diabetes.
Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, our Clinical Director, said: “So-called ‘weight loss drugs’ like semaglutide have proven benefits beyond reducing the number on the scales – they are now considered important medicines for preventing deadly heart attacks and strokes.
“Today’s guidance will no doubt help save lives as cardiovascular disease is still one of the country's biggest killers.
“That's why it's so important that new and effective medicines which prevent cardiovascular disease complications, like semaglutide, get to everyone who could benefit as soon as possible.
