Overweight and obese people often worry about losing weight, even with the right diet and exercise schedule. It becomes a challenge for overweight or obese people compared to those who do not.
To make this process easier for overweight and obese people, a new study reveals that a drug called semaglutide can help adolescents lose weight and keep their hearts healthy. It also informed that the drug is approved for obese or overweight adults, according to news agency ANI.
In an international phase 3a clinical trial, obese adolescents given weekly semaglutide experienced a 16.1% reduction in body mass index (BMI) compared to placebo, whereas adolescents who received placebo experienced a 16.1% reduction in body mass index (BMI). of BMI increased by 0.6%.
Silva Arslanian, senior author, M.D., professor of pediatrics and clinical and translational sciences, who holds the Richard L. Day Endowed Course in Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, says obesity rates are increasing not only in the United States. said to be increasing. But around the world, according to ANI reports.
“Usually we make lifestyle recommendations: eat more vegetables, don’t eat fried foods, don’t drink sodas, etc. Unfortunately, we live in an environment that is very prone to obesity. , these changes can be very difficult to make, and there is a real need for safe and effective drugs to treat obesity,” said the senior author.
Obesity affects nearly one in five children and adolescents worldwide. This chronic disease is associated with shorter life expectancy and an increased risk of developing serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, sleep apnea and certain cancers. .
Obese teens are also more likely to have depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and other psychological problems.
How does semaglutide work?
Semaglutide is an anti-obesity drug that mimics a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 and targets regions of the brain that reduce appetite and improve control over eating. Approved in 2021 for chronic weight management.
To assess whether semaglutide also works in young people, researchers enrolled 201 obese or overweight adolescents aged 12 to 18 at multiple centers.
Participants received either a weekly subcutaneous injection of semaglutide 2.4 mg or placebo, and all received concurrent lifestyle interventions (healthy nutrition and physical activity counseling) during the study.
After 68 weeks, 72.5% of semaglutide participants achieved at least 5% weight loss compared to only 17% of placebo participants.
“The results are astonishing.
“For someone who is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 240 pounds, an average decrease in BMI equates to about 40 pounds of weight loss,” Arslanian added.
What is the effect of semaglutide drug?
According to the analysis, participants on semaglutide, compared with the placebo group, had lower cardiovascular risk factors such as waist circumference, a blood glucose metric called HbA1c, total cholesterol, low- and very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and liver enzymes. was shown to improve. A study cited by ANI.
However, there were no statistically significant differences in blood pressure or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol between the two groups.
Participants who took semaglutide also had better weight-related quality-of-life measures compared to the placebo group, primarily due to improved physical comfort scores.
The researchers say it is the first anti-obesity drug associated with improved quality of life for adolescents.
(with ANI input)
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