Weight-loss jabs will be offered on NHS for people at ris...

What’s Happening

Okay so More than a million people in England will start being offered the anti-obesity jab for better heart health and to avoid strokes.

Weight-loss jabs will be offered on NHS for people at risk of further heart attacks 1 day ago Save Add as preferred on Google Michelle Roberts Digital health editor Weight-loss jab Wegovy will be offered for free on the NHS to more than a million people in England at risk of heart attacks and strokes. The watchdog NICE says people with these health issues, or serious circulation problems in their legs, and who are overweight, should have the weekly jab “as an extra layer of protection”. (plot twist fr)

A GP or specialist will check if it is the right option for those already taking other heart medicines, such as statins, and alongside a healthy diet.

The Details

Drug trials suggest Wegovy can help slash the risk of future heart and circulation problems. Cutting heart risk In tests on tens of thousands of people , the jabs - alongside existing heart medicines - were linked to a 20% reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Importantly, benefits were seen early in the clinical trial, before significant weight loss occurred, suggesting the drug works directly on the heart and blood vessels, not just through weight loss, says NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence). Each year in the UK, there are around 100,000 hospital admissions because of heart attacks, another 100,000 people experience a stroke and around 350,000 people live with peripheral arterial disease.

Why This Matters

People who have already had one of these health issues are at higher risk of experiencing more problems and stand to benefit from medicines that can cut that risk. Disease might be prevented in around seven in 10 cases, the experts estimate, based on best evidence. Helen Knight, from NICE, dropped: “We know that people who have already had a heart attack or stroke are living with real fear that it could happen again.

Health experts are weighing in on what this means for people.

Key Takeaways

• “The evidence from the clinical trial is compelling.
• It showed that people taking semaglutide alongside their existing heart medicines were majorly less likely to have another heart attack or stroke.

The Bottom Line

“The evidence from the clinical trial is compelling. It showed that people taking semaglutide alongside their existing heart medicines were majorly less likely to have another heart attack or stroke.

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