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“Hollywood’s worst-kept secret,” Ozempic is becoming increasingly popular due to its weight loss results, even though it’s actually intended for people with type 2 diabetes. are also causing shortages.
A pharmacy technician grabs a bottle of medicine from a shelf.
important facts
Ozempic (commonly known as semaglutide) is an injectable drug used to lower blood sugar and hemoglobin A1C (the part of red blood cells to which glucose is bound) in people with type 2 diabetes. Low A1C levels reduce diabetes complications such as stroke, hypertension and blindness.
Manufactured by Novo Nordisk, the drug is a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor antagonist (a class of drugs used to treat diabetes) that was first approved for use in people with type 2 diabetes in 2017. is.
To lower blood sugar and A1C, drugs respond to the body in three ways. It helps the pancreas to produce more insulin when blood sugar is high, slows down the process of food leaving the stomach, and stops the liver from making and releasing too much sugar.
Intended to be injected at any time of the day, with or without food, once a week in either the thigh, stomach, or upper arm, patients usually begin on a dose of 0.25 mg, although 4 Jump to 0.5 mg after a week, up to 1 mg if “more glycemic control is needed”.
Of the more than 37 million people with diabetes in the United States, the majority, 90% to 95%, have type 2 diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One of Ozempic’s side effects is weight loss, so some doctors prescribe the drug for off-label use (unapproved use of an approved drug) for weight loss in people without diabetes. . Ozempic has not been approved by the FDA. As a weight loss drug.
Research published in New England Journal of Medicine People who took Ozempic for 68 weeks, combined with a low-calorie diet and a more active lifestyle, found an average weight change of 14.9% compared to a 2.4% change in the placebo group.
These findings have led both obese and slightly overweight people to ask their doctors to prescribe Ozempic.
Ozempic is not approved for weight loss, but Wegovy, a higher-dose version of Ozempic, will be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2021 for obese or overweight people with at least one weight-related condition, such as diabetes or diabetes. approved for adult weight loss. Hypertension.
news peg
Both Wegovy and Ozempic are listed by the FDA as two of nearly 200 drugs in short supply. The recent surge in popularity for weight loss is believed to be the reason for the shortage. Francisco Prieto, a California-based physician, los angeles times Due to shortages, his patients taking Ozempic have had to “call multiple pharmacies and drive around town to see if they have any in stock,” and some still I can’t fill my prescription.
chief critic
According to Zhaoping Li, M.D., director of clinical nutrition at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, people should be careful about using diabetes medications for weight loss. It’s one of the tools of the , and not the final one,” he said. variety. “The longest study done on these injections was done in less than two years. Many questions remain unanswered.”
side effects
Some of the most common side effects caused by Ozempic are nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and stomach pain. However, more serious side effects can occur, including possible thyroid tumors and cancer. According to Novo Nordisk, if anyone takes this medication and experiences shortness of breath, a lump or swelling in the neck, difficulty swallowing, or hoarseness, they should call their doctor.
tangent
Other diabetes drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro have made their way around Hollywood, with various celebrities and influencers pushing for weight loss as a result of the drug. When pointed out, the mask is responded He achieved that appearance through fasting “and Wegovy”. claim “You don’t need it for weight loss,” says Musk, “but people with diabetes actually need it.”according to variety, Drugs have ‘fanatic supporters from all corners of the industry’, with actors, executives and agents praising them on Signal, an encrypted instant messaging service used to keep secret conversations. doing. Speculation alone is enough to make him controversial, with the hashtag #ozempic on his TikTok where he has over 350 million views. Thousands of videos have been posted with this hashtag, with people sharing their weight loss journeys and before and after photos. Some believe that the growing popularity of this drug on the app is due to its lack of supply.
References
What is Ozempic and why is it getting so much attention? (New York Times)
Hollywood’s Secret New Weight Loss Drug Revealed: The Hype and Dangers of Ozempic (Variety)
TikTok trend wipes out Ozempic supply, leaves diabetics dizzy and scared (Los Angeles Times)
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