A UK study has found that patients prescribed GLP-1 weight-loss injections took nearly half the number of sick days over nine months, with long-term absences falling by more than 50%. The research, presented at the European Congress on Obesity, assessed 1,270 NHS patients on a weight management programme who were given semaglutide (Wegovy or Ozempic) alongside at least three weight-related conditions, most commonly anxiety, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
After nine months, patients lost an average of 12.4% of their body weight and their average BMI fell from 45 to 39. Face-to-face GP appointments dropped by 43% and remote consultations by 48%, with over 60% not contacting their GP at all. A separate study of 738 patients found A&E visits fell by a quarter.
Experts suggest that expanding access to the 3.4 million people eligible for weight-loss jabs on the NHS could free up nearly 10 million GP appointments annually, saving the health service about £364m a year – almost 3% of the GP core budget.
Martin Fidock, UK managing director of Oviva, which provided the programme, said: “Britain is in the grip of a productivity crisis, and obesity is one of the biggest drivers. Our data shows that when people get the right treatment – jabs combined with proper clinical support – they don’t just lose weight. They get back to work, stop relying on their GP and start living again.”
Two other studies presented at the conference suggested GLP-1 drugs may also reduce asthma exacerbations by 26% and migraine medication use by 18%, though further research is needed.
