The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has now allowed it to be used in helping overweight or obese people cut their risk of heart problems.<\/p>\n
Wegovy is the first weight-loss medication to be approved in the UK as a preventative method for \u201cestablished cardiovascular disease\u201d.<\/p>\n
It can be prescribed to people who have a body mass index (BMI) score of 27 or above and have already been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease \u2013 a term which describes conditions relating to the heart or blood vessels.<\/p>\n
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Wegovy, made by Novo Nordisk, typically works by making people feel fuller and less hungry.<\/p>\n
It does so by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone which is used in regulating blood sugar levels and enhancing insulin secretion. This reduces the amount of glucose, or sugar, produced by the liver.<\/p>\n
By cutting the amount of sugar produced, it slows down how quickly food is digested.<\/p>\n
Heart attack or stroke risk cut by a fifth \u2013 study<\/strong><\/p>\nThe approval comes as a new trial, involving 17,600 people, found that taking it as an injection once a week, for up to five years, can lower a person\u2019s risk of a major cardiovascular event \u2013 such as a heart attack or stroke \u2013 by 20%.<\/p>\n
While the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is still to approve the treatment\u2019s use, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director for NHS England, is feeling positive.<\/p>\n
He said it could \u201chelp reduce cardiovascular risks for high-risk patients, potentially preventing heart attacks and strokes, and giving more people the chance of a healthier future\u201d.<\/p>\n
The MHRA\u2019s Shirley Hooper called it \u201can important step forward in tackling the serious health consequences of obesity\u201d.<\/p>\n
She also said she is assured \u201cthe appropriate regulatory standards of safety, quality and effectiveness\u201d have been met.<\/p>\n
There have been previous challenges around the supply of the medication, with Novo Nordisk warning earlier this year there were supply constraints, and that it would be focusing on supplying to \u201cthose with the highest ongoing need\u201d.<\/p>\n
However, for the NHS, the company states there is \u201ca protected supply\u201d, while the non-NHS supply will remain \u201cconstrained and limited for the foreseeable future\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
This post appeared first on sky.com<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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