The drug has been in the news for a number of years, firstly as a treatment for type 2 diabetics and then as an aid to weight loss. Semaglutide, also known as Ozempic and Wegovy, could have benefits for a variety of medical conditions ranging from dementia to addiction.
GLP-1 and semaglutide slow the rate of digestion in the stomach and act on the brain to decrease appetite. It also increases the production of insulin, a hormone which is important in controlling blood sugar levels.
Numerous studies show that semaglutide is effective in lowering blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics. Some trials are funded by Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of the drug .
Semaglutide, for example, is available through the NHS to people with type 2 diabetics and is considered an important tool.
Semaglutide is associated with weight loss in studies of type 2 diabetics. Semaglutide, also known as the “skinny shot”, has gained a new market for people who do not have type 2 diabetes.
Researchers from the New England Journal of Medicine conducted a study involving 1,961 obese overweight adults who did not have type 2 diabetes. They found that those who received a placebo along with lifestyle interventions, lost an average of only 2.6kg during the 68 week period, while those receiving a weekly semaglutide injection in conjunction with lifestyle interventions, lost an average of 15.3kg.
Many warn that drugs like semaglutide are not the best way to combat the obesity epidemic.
Semaglutide and other GLP-1 imitators are currently available on the NHS for certain groups. However, prescriptions are only valid for two years due to a lack long-term data,has shown, however, that a four-year treatment program known as Select Study is not only effective but also safe.
It is encouraging to see that a four-year treatment program is effective at helping people lose weight on a clinically meaningful level of 10 percent in average, said Tricia Tan of Imperial College London’s Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Medicine.
The only long-term effective treatment for obesity that was available before weight-loss surgeries is weight loss surgery. We have proof that the surgery can provide long-term weight reduction for about 20 years. This trial supports the idea that semaglutide can be effective, at least for the medium term.
Semaglutide does not come without side effects . Some people quit the study due to diarrhoea or feeling sick.
The Select study suggested that a weekly dose semaglutide can reduce by 20% the risk of heart attacks, strokes and deaths from cardiovascular causes for overweight or obese adults who have pre-existing cardiology disease.
analysis, which is yet to be published, has shown that the proportional reduction of such events occurs regardless of starting weight.
Some experts believe that semaglutide is a drug that should be prescribed routinely to treat cardiovascular diseases. Others, however, say that there are still many unknowns (including the mechanism involved) which may limit its use.
Studies suggest that the rate of dementia in type 2 diabetics who take GLP analogs such as semaglutide is lower than those who are given a placebo.
Researchers have therefore teamed up to conduct trials in order to determine whether the drug can help patients with early Alzheimer’s.
In our study, we give it to those who don’t have dementia, but are at high risk due to having high levels of amyloid protein in the brain. This was said by Dr Ivan Koychev of Oxford University.
Semaglutide may be beneficial in dementia. It can reduce inflammation of the brain and the accumulation proteins that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease .
Koychev added that “this class of drugs [also] reduces risk of vascular event and the effect on dementia could be through reducing incidence of major strokes, or reducing likelihood of smaller blood vessels scarring.”
Koychev may be optimistic, but it’s worth noting that many promising drugs for dementia have failed to make the grade as clinical trials progressed.
Semaglutide is an interesting drug, as it appears to dampen not only the reward system for food, but also drugs.
In fact, research suggests that GLP-1 analogs may be associated with a higher chance of abstinence from smoking as well as a reduced alcohol consumption. The medications have also been shown to reduce drug-seeking , and smoking.
It is not clear if these drugs affect reward signaling in the brain in general. This raises concerns about their use by people with depression.
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) ishas cast doubt upon the concerns.
Researchers have found that these drugs may reduce the risk for certain cancers . A study published in 2011 suggested they were associated with a reduced risk of colorectal carcinoma among people with type 2 diabetics with or without excess body weight.
The authors believe that the greater effects seen in obese and overweight patients could be due to the drugs’ ability to help people lose weight.
Professor Simon Cork, of Anglia Ruskin University, said that the theory is logical.
He said that obesity increases the risk of 13 types of cancer, so losing weight will almost certainly lower your risk.
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