Think twice before choosing weight loss drugs
Recently, several infected medications for weight loss rose to popularity around the world, including among several celebrities like Elon Musk.
However, these medications for weight loss, including Wegovy, Ozempic, Saxenda and Victoza, may put people at higher risk of serious digestive problems such as stomach paralysis, pancreatitis, and bowel obstructions, compared with those taking other types of weight loss medications, according to a new research.
Risk is small but usage is widespread
According to the study by researchers at the University of British Columbia, about 1% of people taking Ozempic were diagnosed with stomach paralysis. While the risks of these events happening to individual patients appears to be less, demand for this and similar drugs has heavily increased, with tens of millions of people now taking them worldwide, reports CNN.
This means that even rare risks like these may amount to hundreds of thousands of new cases, according to the researchers.
Beware of possible side effects
The prescribing information for Wegovy and Saxenda does caution about a host of serious side effects. These include inflammation of the pancreas, gallbladder problems, blocked intestines, kidney problems, serious allergic reactions, increased heart rate, suicidal thoughts, and changes in vision. A warning about ileus (blocked intestines) was also just added to Ozempic’s warning label, shares CNN.
As per the labels, the most common side effects are nausea, vomiting and constipation. They also strongly warn people with a history of certain types of hereditary thyroid cancers against taking the medications.
Understanding these weight loss drugs
In 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved semaglutide for people who are obese without diabetes and only need to lose weight. It’s sold under the brand name Ozempic when prescribed for diabetes and Wegovy when prescribed for weight loss. Liraglutide was FDA approved as a weight loss medicine since 2014. When it’s prescribed for diabetes, it’s called Victoza; when prescribed for weight management, it’s called Saxenda.
For the study, the researchers looked for patients who were prescribed semaglutide and liraglutide. Both drugs belong to a class called GLP-1 agonists. These drugs work by slowing the passage of food through the stomach. This way, they can help people with diabetes control their blood sugar and lead to substantial weight loss for people with or without diabetes.
Details about the scary findings
The researchers found that individuals taking Ozempic and Saxenda were much more likely to develop serious stomach and intestinal problems compared with those who were taking Contrave. There was a roughly 1% rate of new cases of stomach paralysis in the group taking Ozempic, about 0.7% incidence of stomach paralysis in the group taking Saxenda, and a roughly 0.3% incidence of stomach paralysis in the group taking Contrave.
Bowel obstructions were more than four times more likely in people taking the injected medications compared with those on Contrave. For pancreatitis, there was a 0.5% incidence of pancreatitis in people taking Ozempic, a 0.8% risk in people taking Saxenda, and a 0.01% incidence in people taking Contrave.
Limitations of the study
The study is observational and can only show associations. The research does not prove the drugs caused the conditions people were diagnosed with. However, it serves as an important reminder to not opt for these drugs, unless your doctor prescribes so, after thoroughly considering your medical profile.
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