Ozempic may cause weight loss in people with type 2 diabetes
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Ozempic and Wegovy are brand names for the drug semaglutide. Many countries have approved Wegovy for weight loss in obese or overweight people and Ozempic for people with type 2 diabetes.
How do these drugs work?
Drugs such as semaglutide mimic the actions of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). These so-called GLP-1 analogues have several effects, including slowing stomach emptying, acting on the brain to reduce appetite, and promoting the release of insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar levels. there is.
For over a decade, GLP-1 analogues have been used to help control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, and some users have experienced moderate weight loss. Simon Coke, Imperial College London “These drugs strengthen systems already present in the human body, which serve to suppress appetite after eating.”
Why are they making headlines now?
GLP-1 analogues are beginning to be prescribed for weight loss in people without type 2 diabetes. They are also now available in stronger, easier-to-use formulations.
Initially, GLP-1 analogues were approved for use at low doses, which had to be given as twice-daily injections. In the latest formulation, they are once-weekly injections, Wegovy’s full dose is 2.4 milligrams for weight loss, and Ozempic is used at its maximum dose of 2 milligrams for type 2 diabetes.
How widely available are they?
In 2021, Wegovy has been approved for weight loss in several countries, including the United States and Canada. It became widely known due to praise from some celebrity users.
Manufacturing problems meant that its maker, Novo Nordisk, struggled to meet global demand, with some doctors saying years ago that in certain countries it was a drug for people with type 2 diabetes. I started prescribing Ozempic, which was approved. This has led to a shortage of people who need it for diabetes management.
In the UK, Wegovy was approved in 2021, but in March 2023, the UK’s medical guidelines body, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, announced that the drug should be administered by weight loss clinics within the country’s National Health Service. Approved when stated it should. Wegovy is due to be available in the UK this year and Ozempic has been available since 2019 for her type 2 diabetes.
How effective are they?
very. Routinely, obesity doctors talk about a paradigm shift in the field of obesity management. Previously, approximately 5% weight loss was considered a good outcome for weight loss interventions other than gastric surgery and considered a benchmark for obesity drug trials.
Wegovy, when combined with exercise and a healthy diet, leads to approximately 15% weight loss over the course of a year.
In fact, some people feel that the GLP-1 analogue is making them too thin, as reflected in the rise of the search terms ‘Ozempic face’ and ‘Ozempic butt’. “Ozempic does nothing specific to the skin,” says Alexander He Milas of the University of Ulster, UK. It is weight loss that causes these apparent side effects, he says, and similar results often occur after weight loss surgery.
Do the drugs have side effects?
Side effects such as nausea, constipation, and diarrhea tend to occur as you become accustomed to the drug. More worrying side effects include inflammation of the pancreas, which is relatively rare.
how about hair loss?
Hair loss has been reported by some semaglutide users. This can also be seen after significant weight loss from other causes, such as stomach surgery, Milas says.
Hair loss after weight loss surgery is thought to be due to physiological stress on the body, which causes the number of hair follicles to increase and enter a “resting” phase, after which the hair falls out after a few months. Then it stops, but the hair doesn’t always grow back, says Miras.
What will be the user’s weight over time?
Wegovy’s longest trial lasted two years and found that people’s weight almost plateaued in the second year.
In most countries, Wegovy is approved for use for two years, but when people stop taking the drug, they typically regain two-thirds of their body weight after a year.
“Weight loss only lasts as long as you’re on the drug, because as soon as you stop taking the drug, all the physiological processes that try to put the weight back on start again,” Koch says.
This suggests there is demand from consumers for doctors to continue to prescribe this drug “off label” after two years of use. I think it’s going to take a while,” Cork says.
Ozempic can be prescribed long-term because the type 2 diabetes condition is usually lifelong.
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