NHS offers weight loss jabs to people at risk of heart attacks and strokes

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The NHS will start offering Wegovy, a weight-loss jab, to more than a million people at risk of heart attacks and strokes. The drug, which is also sold under the brand name Ozempic, is already available to people with obesity and type 2 diabetes. But clinical trials have shown that, even before any weight is lost, it can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes by 20%. This suggests that the drug has a direct effect on the heart and blood vessels. Overweight people who are vulnerable to major cardiovascular events will be offered the drug from this summer, as well as being given recommendations to improve their diets and take regular exercise.