Ozempic is a brand name for the medication semaglutide, which is a type of medication called a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It is used to treat type 2 diabetes in adults, along with diet and exercise, to help control blood sugar levels.
Semaglutide works by mimicking the action of GLP-1, a hormone produced by the intestine that stimulates the release of insulin and lowers blood sugar levels. It also reduces the amount of glucagon, a hormone that raises blood sugar levels, produced by the liver.
Ozempic is given as a subcutaneous injection once a week and is available in several different doses. It is important to follow your healthcare provider’s instructions for taking Ozempic and to carefully monitor your blood sugar levels while taking this medication. Some possible side effects of Ozempic include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, as well as changes in appetite and weight. It is important to talk to your healthcare provider if you experience any side effects or have any concerns about taking this medication.

What is ozempic for weight loss? Is it safe or harmful?

Ozempic is a once-weekly injectable remedy formulated to help adults with kind 2 diabetes manipulate their blood sugar. Although not formally a weight reduction drug, research suggests that people who take ozempic may additionally lose modest amounts of weight even as on the drugs. In reality, the energetic ingredient in ozempic, referred to as semaglutide, is fda-authorized at higher doses for treating people residing with weight problems and different weight related clinical issues under the call wegovy.

Due to a wegovy scarcity coupled with ozempic’s weight loss outcomes going viral on social media, humans without type 2 diabetes have began the usage of ozempic off-label for weight loss.

In this text, we speak about this growing weight loss trend and offer insights from physicians on ozempic’s effectiveness for weight loss, protection and what you ought to take into account earlier than taking ozempic for weight reduction.

What is ozempic?

Ozempic is an fda-permitted prescription medicinal drug for the remedy of type 2 diabetes in adults. It enables improved blood sugar in adults with kind 2 diabetes and is verified to decrease hemoglobin A1c, a measure of blood glucose through the years, according to research noted on ozempic’s website. It also allows adults with type 2 diabetes and recognised heart ailment to decrease their risk for cardiovascular events like stroke or heart assault.

The energetic compound in ozempic, semaglutide, is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (glp-1) receptor agonist. It works with the aid of activating glp-1 receptors at some stage in the body and enhancing the consequences of the obviously happening hormone glp-1.

“glp-1 serves more than one key function inside the frame,” explains Christopher Mcgowan, m.D., a gastroenterologist specializing in obesity medication and endo bariatrics, and founder of genuine you weight reduction in north carolina. “It boosts the discharge of insulin by means of the pancreas in response to food consumption, which facilitates control of blood sugar. Likewise, it reduces the discharge of glucagon—a hormone that increases blood glucose—thereby also supporting to control blood sugar.”

Ozempic is a once-weekly self-administered injection of semaglutide. It comes in 0.5 mg, 1 mg or 2 mg dosages.

Ozempic for Weight Loss: How Does It Work?

Whilst ozempic isn’t especially categorized as a weight loss drug, studies sponsored by using novo nordisk, the business enterprise that makes ozempic, advise folks who take semaglutide—the energetic compound in ozempic—may shed pounds[1][2]. In fact, the fda accredited semaglutide for weight loss in 2021 under the logo call wegovy. However, wegovy affords a better dose of semaglutide than ozempic—2.Four milligrams of semaglutide in wegovy compared with 0.5 milligrams, 1 milligram or 2 milligrams of semaglutide in ozempic.

As a glp-1 receptor agonist, semaglutide complements the results of the evidently going on hormone glp-1. Dr. Mcgowan explains that in addition to its effects on blood glucose and diabetes, glp-1 additionally impacts weight thru two key mechanisms:

Impacts the starvation facilities inside the brain (especially, in the hypothalamus), decreasing starvation, appetite and cravings

Slows the charge of belly emptying, efficiently prolonging fullness and satiety after food

“the internet end result is decreased starvation, prolonged fullness and in the long run weight loss,” provides dr. Mcgowan.

In a single huge clinical trial backed by using novo nordisk, 1,961 adults with excess weight or weight problems who did no longer have diabetes were given 2.Four milligrams of semaglutide or a placebo as soon as per week for 68 weeks, along with way of life intervention. People who took semaglutide lost 14.Nine% in their body weight in comparison with 2.4% for individuals who took the placebo[1].

It’s important to be aware that the dose of semaglutide used on this has a look at changing into better than the dose supplied through ozempic. But, 2.Four milligrams is the dose of semaglutide inside the fda-accredited weight loss drug wegovy.

“ozempic is the only treatment for diabetes. It isn’t always a weight reduction medicinal drug,” explains dr. Mcgowan. “its sister treatment, wegovy, is mainly authorized for the treatment of weight,” he provides.

Despite the fact that ozempic and wegovy are basically the same remedy (simply to be had in distinct doses), it has to be stated that even as ozempic is commonly protected via insurance, frequently, wegovy isn’t always.

High demand and subsequent stock and supply chain lines have significantly impacted the supply of wegovy, notes dr. Mcgowan. As a result, wegovy has been repeatedly unavailable because of its advent and lots of human beings are turning to off-label use of ozempic for weight loss. Dr. Mcgowan notes that this is interfering with the availability of ozempic for people with diabetes.

While taking semaglutide may additionally assist you shed pounds even as you are on the drug, most of the people will regain tons of that weight in the event that they stop the use of it. “research display that preventing ozempic completely will possibly result in regaining most of the burden misplaced inside several months,” notes rekha kumar, m.D., head of clinical affairs at evidence-based total weight care program, and practicing endocrinologist at an educational scientific center in New york city.

“Glp-1 drugs [like Ozempic] are designed to be taken for a protracted-term,” explains dr. Mcgowan. “they’re persistent drug treatments for the remedy of persistent situations (every diabetes and weight problems).”

Is Ozempic Safe?

“Ozempic is a safe medication with a selection of blessings,” notes fatima cody stanford,M.D., an obesity medicine health practitioner-scientist at Massachusetts trendy clinic, associate professor of medicine and pediatrics at Harvard medical  unit and advisory board member at sweetch. “approximately eighty% of sufferers with type 2 diabetes additionally have concurrent obesity. So, these sufferers garner dual benefits for the remedy of their diabetes and weight problems.”

Ozempic has additionally been proven to lessen primary adverse coronary occasions, which includes heart attacks and strokes, and offers a bunch of other blessings, adds dr. Cody stanford.

However, ozempic isn’t safe for everybody. Consistent with the employer, human beings with the subsequent conditions have to avoid the use of ozempic:

Pancreatitis

Type 1 diabetes

Beneath 18 years of age

Pregnant or breastfeeding

Diabetic retinopathy

Troubles with the pancreas or kidneys

Circle of relatives history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC)

Multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome kind 2 (men 2), an endocrine device circumstance

As with any prescription remedy, it’s crucial to consult your doctor or other certified fitness care issuer on whether or not this medicinal drug is secure for you, and what dosage is appropriate.

Common Side Effects of Ozempic

“Ordinary, ozempic is a very secure medicine,” explains the doctor Mcgowan. “The most commonplace facet results are gastrointestinal in nature: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation.” At the same time as most people who take ozempic will maximum possibly enjoy those signs and symptoms sooner or later for the duration of their treatment, they need to subside through the years, maintains dr. Mcgowan.

“when you consider that ozempic slows down gastric emptying, there may be a feeling of early satiety [fullness],” provides dr. Alexander, who recommends individuals devour slowly to assist improve these and other gastrointestinal aspect outcomes of ozempic. “These consequences are usually short-time periods and beautify some days to 3 weeks after beginning ozempic or changing the dose,” she presents.

Taking ozempic may additionally reason other less not unusual, but extra extreme, aspect outcomes, consistent with the company. These include:

Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)

Imaginative and prescient adjustments

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

Kidney issues

Hypersensitive reactions

Gallbladder issues

Thyroid tumors or most cancers

Should I Use Ozempic to Lose Weight?

Dr. Mcgowen advises humans with kind 2 diabetes, specifically those with a number of greater weight or obesity, to seek advice from their health practitioner to look if ozempic may be a good fit for helping to control their blood sugar and shed pounds.“for the number one treatment of weight problems, wegovy is likewise an fantastic option for any affected individual who has struggled to shed kilos via eating regimen and exercise alone, has a bmi of 30 and above (or 27 and above with an obesity-associated comorbidity) and is willing to use a as soon as-weekly injection lengthy-time period,” he adds.

He notes, “the glp-1 medicines are always extra effective for the remedy of weight than previous anti-weight problems medications and ought to be taken into consideration first-line pharmacotherapy for the treatment of weight problems.”

However, the use of ozempic for a quick-time period, cosmetic weight loss is not something dr. Mcgowan recommends. “whilst this has obtained significant attention within the media, ozempic and related glp-1 medicinal drugs are not designed to be used in this manner, can result in capacity adverse activities and in the end the load this is misplaced might be regained. Similarly, this off-label use of ozempic is substantially impacting availability of the medicine for individuals who want it maximum—individuals with type 2 diabetes (or in the case of wegovy, people with obesity),” he explains.

Moreover, all of us with contraindications like a history of medullary thyroid most cancers, multiple endocrine neoplasia or a record of pancreatitis should now not use ozempic, adds dr. Cody stanford.

Footnotes

Wilding jph, batterham rl, calanna s, et al. Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or weight problems. New england magazine of drugs. 2021;384(11):989-1002.

Mares ac, chatterjee s, mukherjee d. Semaglutide for weight reduction and cardiometabolic chance reduction in obese/weight problems. Curr opin cardiol. 2022;37(four):350-355.

References

What’s. Ozempic® (semaglutide) injection 0.Five mg or 1 mg. Accessed eleven/30/2022.

Zhao x, wang m, wen z, et al. Glp-1 receptor agonists: past their pancreatic effects. Front endocrinol (lausanne). 2021;12:1040.

Fda approves new drug treatment for continual weight control, first considering. Fda. Accessed eleven/15/2022.

Weight loss prescription remedy for mg. Accessed eleven/30/2022.

Wilding JPH, batterham rl, davis m, et al. Weight regain and cardiometabolic outcomes after withdrawal of semaglutide: the step 1 trial extension. 2022;24(8):1553-1564.

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