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More than a million to be prescribed weight loss drug to prevent heart attacks and strokes
NICE says the weekly injection cut major cardiovascular events by 20% in a trial of 17,604 people.
- On Wednesday, April 1, 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence issued final draft guidance recommending semaglutide to reduce heart attack and stroke risks for overweight patients with cardiovascular disease.
- NICE based its decision on the SELECT study, which demonstrated that semaglutide reduced cardiovascular death risk by almost 20% over about 3.3 years among 17,604 participants.
- Patients with a body mass index of 27 or higher qualify for the treatment, with health service officials estimating 1.2 million people across England could benefit from the new guidance.
- Dr. Sonya Babu-Narayan, clinical director at the British Heart Foundation, called semaglutide an "important medicine" for preventing deadly complications, while NHS England's Helen Williams said the treatment could be "life-changing" for high-risk patients.
- Health service officials suggest the treatment could be available "within months," though experts note prescribing requires targeted implementation including physical activity support to manage potential side effects and muscle loss.
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20 Articles
News & Star+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
1m to get ‘life-changing’ weight loss drugs to prevent heart attacks and strokes
The NHS is expanding the number of people eligible for treatment.
·Cumbria, United Kingdom
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Total News Sources20
Leaning Left3Leaning Right2Center10Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Center
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources are Center
67% Center
L 20%
C 67%
13%
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