Wegovy can cause significant weight loss, but may require long-term use
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Ozempic and Wegovy are brand names for the drug semaglutide. Many countries have approved Wegovy for weight loss in people who are obese or overweight and Ozempic for weight loss in people with type 2 diabetes.
How do these drugs work?
Drugs such as semaglutide mimic the effects of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). These so-called GLP-1 analogs 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.
GLP-1 analogs have been used for more than a decade to help control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, and some users have experienced slight weight loss. “These drugs strengthen a system already present in the human body. Their role is to suppress appetite after ingesting a meal,” says Dr. simon coke At Imperial College London.
Why are they making headlines now?
GLP-1 analogs are beginning to be prescribed for weight loss in people without type 2 diabetes. It is also now available in more potent and easier-to-use formulations.
Initially, GLP-1 analogs were approved for use in low doses and had to be administered as twice-daily injections. The latest formulations require a once-weekly injection. The total dose of Wegovy is 2.4 milligrams for weight loss and Ozempic has been used in doses up to 2 milligrams for type 2 diabetes.
How widely available are they?
In 2021, Wegovy was approved for weight loss purposes in several countries. including the US And Canada. It has become widely known due to praise from some famous users.
manufacturing issues means manufacturer. novo nordiskAs the drug struggled to meet global demand, some doctors in some countries began prescribing Ozempic, which had been approved for patients with type 2 diabetes several years earlier. This led to a shortage of people needed to manage diabetes.
In the UK, Wegovy was approved in 2021; It received approval from the UK's medical guidelines body, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, in March 2023., when it stated that the drug should be administered in weight loss clinics within the country's National Health Service. Wegovy is due to be available in the UK this year, while Ozempic has been available for type 2 diabetes since 2019.
In June 2023, The UK government has announced a two-year trial to give obese patients access to new medicines.Wegovy et al., outside the hospital.
How effective is it?
very. It's a cliché, but obesity doctors are talking about a paradigm shift in the field of obesity management. Previously, a loss of approximately 5 percent of body weight was considered a good outcome for weight loss interventions other than gastric surgery and was considered the benchmark for obesity drug trials.
Wegovy is approx. 15% weight loss in 1 yearwhen combined with exercise and a healthy diet.
In fact, GLP-1 analogs may make some people feel too thin, as reflected in the rise in search terms for “ozempic face” and “ozempic butt.” “Ozempic doesn't do anything special to the skin,” he says. Alexander Milas At the University of Ulster, UK. It is weight loss that causes these obvious side effects, he says, and similar results often occur after weight loss surgery.
Does the drug have side effects?
Side effects are mild, such as nausea, constipation, and diarrhea, but tend to occur as you get used to the drug. More worrisome side effects include inflammation of the pancreas, but this is relatively rare.
What about hair loss?
Hair loss has been reported by some users of semaglutide. Milas says this can also be seen after significant weight loss due to other causes, such as gastric surgery.
Hair loss after weight loss surgery is thought to be due to physiological stress on the body, which causes an increase in the number of hair follicles that enter a “resting” phase, causing the hair to fall out after a few months. Once the weight loss stabilizes, the hair will stop growing, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will grow back, Milas says.
Do these drugs cause suicidal thoughts?
GLP-1 analogues such as Ozempic and Wegovy are being investigated by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) following recent reports that they may cause suicidal thoughts and self-harm. This came after Iceland's health regulator received three reports regarding semaglutide and another drug called liraglutide, an early GLP-1 analogue.
EMA says it is analyzing www.newscientist.com
