The NHS in England is set to offer weight-loss drugs to more than one million people to reduce their risk of heart attacks and strokes. Semaglutide, known under brand names Wegovy and Ozempic, will now be available to individuals who are overweight but not obese and at high risk of serious cardiovascular events.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has recommended semaglutide for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 or above who have previously had a heart attack, stroke, or serious circulation problem in their legs. The weekly injections will be offered alongside existing treatments such as statins, a reduced-calorie diet, and increased physical activity.
Clinical trials have shown that semaglutide reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death. Crucially, this benefit was observed before significant weight loss occurred, suggesting the drug has direct effects on the heart and blood vessels. A study led by University College London, published in The Lancet, found that semaglutide cuts the risk of major cardiac events by 20% regardless of how much weight people lose.
Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at Nice, described the evidence as “compelling”, stating that people taking semaglutide with existing heart medicines were “significantly less likely” to have another heart attack or stroke. NHS England officials said the new group of eligible patients would be able to access the drug “within months”.
Helen Williams, NHS England’s clinical director for cardiovascular disease prevention, said the treatment could be “life-changing” for over a million people at high risk. Health minister Sharon Hodgson called weight-loss drugs a “gamechanger”, while Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan of the British Heart Foundation noted semaglutide’s benefits “beyond reducing the number on the scales”.
