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More than a million to be prescribed weight loss drug to prevent heart attacks and strokes
The weekly injection will be prescribed with diet and exercise after trials showed a 20% lower risk of major heart events.
- On Wednesday, April 1, 2026, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence issued final draft guidance recommending semaglutide to reduce heart attack and stroke risks for overweight patients with cardiovascular disease.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.
Insights by Ground AI
28 Articles
28 Articles
For patients with a BMI above 27 and who are at high risk of cardiovascular disease.
Coverage Details
Total News Sources28
Leaning Left4Leaning Right2Center14Last UpdatedBias Distribution70% Center
Bias Distribution
- 70% of the sources are Center
70% Center
L 20%
C 70%
Factuality
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