Prof Naveed Sattar from Glasgow University said the jabs could provide added health benefits by working fast to get weight down.
“It’s plausible that being lighter for even two to three years due to short-term use of the jabs could help slow damage to joints or the heart and kidneys. Larger and longer outcome trials will be needed to answer that question.
“Importantly, continued use of these medicines over three to four years enables people to maintain significantly lower weight than they would otherwise – a benefit not typically seen with lifestyle-induced weight loss, where many regain weight over time.”
GPs and specialist weight-management services cannot automatically prescribe Mounjaro and Wegovy, even if patients have already been prescribed it privately.
The drugs can be offered to those in greatest clinical need who meet certain criteria, such as having weight-related health problems.
Currently, there is no specified time limit for Mounjaro prescriptions on the NHS, while Wegovy can only be prescribed for a maximum of two years.
A spokeswoman for Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical company that makes Mounjaro, said use of weight-loss drugs needed to be accompanied by healthy eating, physical activity and medical follow-up.
“When treatment is stopped, weight can return, which reflects the biology of the condition rather than a lack of effort.”
