An obesity jab called Ozempic could cut heart disease and stroke risks even if you don’t lose any weight.
New research has shown that semaglutide, an NHS prescription drug which is sold under brand name Ozempic as well as Wegovy could give a boost to the heart health of millions of adults in the UK.
The study, shown at a conference, says the drug has a positive effect on blood sugar levels, blood pressure and inflammation and can also have direct effects on heart muscle and vessels.
The drug has been dubbed ‘the skinny jab’ in Hollywood although it can have side effects such as nausea and upset stomach.
In the study, 62 percent of patients lost more than five percent of their body weight, compared to just 10 percent of patients not given the drug.
Heart attack and stroke risk was also cut for everyone on the drug whether they lost or gained weight.
Talking on BBC Radio 4, Professor Deanfield, who led the research, said; ““There are many people living overweight or with obesity, who have struggled to improve their weight, and these drugs, for that reason alone, produce an important clinical opportunity,” he said.
“But these are drugs that will also improve their background medical problems. That really is quite exciting.”
Ozempic can only be prescribed for patients with type 2 diabetes and is not licensed as a weight-loss drug in the UK or the US, although the UK government says although it is not authorised for weight-loss, “it is used off-label for that purpose.”