New Med May Provide Significant Weight Loss

About 90 million US adults struggle with obesity. Despite the numerous health risks that can come along with it, many sufferers find the problem difficult to treat. The old way of thinking: that willpower was the problem, is falling away as new research proves that may never have been the case. Breakthroughs are leading us down new treatment paths and into new ideas.

Researchers believe they may have found a significant discovery in a drug they’d previously only studied for diabetes management. Their findings are so promising, some people see the new use as a potential breakthrough. 

Old Med, New Purpose

Weight management is an important aspect of diabetes control; people with the condition who are also obese are at an increased risk of hypertension, stroke, heart attacks and cancer. And a drug that has been used for management of diabetes is now showing new promise.

Semaglutide is a weekly injected medication that was initially studied for the management of diabetes. Researchers began to examine trends in their diabetes patients who were trying to lose their excess weight. A study covered five separate trials that included 3,918 diabetic adults with poorly controlled diabetes. Patients in the placebo group lost an average of 5 pounds during the 30- to 56-week study period, while people who took semaglutide lost an average of 13.9 pounds in the same length of time.

Other Benefits of Semaglutide

Because semaglutide is a diabetes medication, it can reduce overall blood sugar levels. Better blood sugar control also means better cardiovascular health and all sorts of reduced health risks. In cases of severe obesity, the added weight loss could make this drug a life-saving alternative, especially in cases where numerous other weight-loss interventions have failed.

Precautions

One of the most troubling side effects of this medication is nausea or vomiting, which may account for some of the weight loss documented in the trials. For people who can tolerate it or those who are morbidly obese and have run out of options, the discomfort might be worth the results, though. For most other people who experience this reaction, it may be a dealbreaker.

Another issue is the need to inject this medication subcutaneously every week. Diabetics might have no problem with weekly injections, but this method might be too much for other people only looking to lose weight. Tolerance levels may vary greatly.

Semaglutide could be a good option for some people looking for a weight loss boost when they need it most, but it’s definitely not right for everyone. Researchers are still looking into the pros and cons of using this medication to treat obesity rather than just diabetes. Investigations into similar medicines that work just as well, with fewer side effects, could be a helpful next step.

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