Heart disease suffers given weight loss jabs to prevent heart attacks or strokes
The NHS says 1.2 million across England could benefit.
Over a million people who are living with heart disease are to be prescribed the weight loss jab Wegovy, to prevent them from having heart attacks or strokes.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), the NHS’s spending watchdog, has given the green light to giving semaglutide to overweight and obese patients living with certain heart and circulatory conditions to cut their risk of a major cardiovascular event.
Sold under the brand name Wegovy and made by Novo Nordisk, the weekly jab what's known as a GLP-1 receptor agonist which slows down how quickly food is digested, leading to weight loss.
Nice said that clinical trials have also indicted that the drug works directly on the heart and blood vessels, not just through weight loss, as it approved the jab for a new purpose.
It is expected that 1.2 million people across England could benefit.
A clinical trial shows the injection reduces the risk of a heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death
New guidance says the treatment can be used by patients with a body mass index (BMI) score of 27 or over in addition to other medicines, such as statins, and alongside a reduced calorie diet and increased exercise to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
The move means there will be a rapid expansion of people eligible to take the drugs on the health service.
Semaglutide is already available on the NHS in England as a treatment option for people with obesity, it is also available under the different brand name Ozempic for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Treatment is “cost effective” for NHS use
Nice said that evidence from a clinical trial shows the injection reduces the risk of a heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death.
It said the study suggests that the benefit was seen even before patients lost a significant amount of weight, which suggests the drug works on the heart and blood vessels.
There was a 20% reduced risk of a major heart event among the 17,604 people who took part in the study.
Nice said that its evaluation shows the treatment is “cost effective” for NHS use.
Health service officials said the treatment is set to be available on the NHS “within months”.
“We know that people who have already had a heart attack or stroke are living with real fear that it could happen again,” said Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice.
“The evidence from the clinical trial is compelling. It showed that people taking semaglutide alongside their existing heart medicines were significantly less likely to have another heart attack or stroke.”
Helen Williams, national clinical director for cardiovascular disease prevention at NHS England, added: “For more than a million people at high risk of heart attack and stroke, this treatment on the NHS could be life-changing – offering a powerful new way to protect their hearts and improve their health.
“We know that people who have already had a heart attack or stroke face a much higher risk of having another.
“Used alongside a healthy diet and regular exercise, semaglutide could help prevent thousands of future major cardiovascular events and give many people the chance at a longer and healthier life.”
Health minister Sharon Hodgson said: “Weight loss drugs are proving to be a game changer in tackling obesity.
“Extending their use for people who also suffer from cardiovascular disease will be a life saver.”
Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director at the British Heart Foundation, 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.”
Juliet Bouverie, chief executive of the Stroke Association, said: “We always encourage people to reduce their risk of stroke by maintaining a healthy weight, but we understand this can be a challenge for some.
“As stroke survivors live with the worrying threat of further strokes, it’s vital they have options to help prevent that from happening, which suit their own circumstances.
“As many survivors can be left with disabilities which reduce movement, weight loss medication could be a suitable option for them, when recommended by a medical professional.”