Ozempic may help people lose weight when accompanied by eating changes and exercise. Ozempic is a prescription drug for adults with type 2 diabetes used to improve low blood sugar levels and also help people without diabetes to lose weight. Book an appointment with a PlushCare doctor today and if you qualify, you can get a prescription for Ozempic for weight loss.
What is Ozempic
Ozempic is in a class of drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 GLP-1 agonists incretin mimetics. It is prescribed to help lower your blood sugar levels and A1C in type 2 diabetes.
Ozempic binds to GLP-1 receptors and stimulates insulin release from the pancreas when you need it.
It reduces the amount of sugar released by your liver and slows down food leaving your stomach to help prevent blood sugar spikes.
Ozempic is a simple, once a week, injection which contains the weight loss drug semaglutide and helps you lose weight. It's a pharmaceutical drug initially developed to help people with diabetes controlling and lowering blood sugar levels.
Do side effects cause weight loss with Ozempic?
Stomach side effects are common when starting treatment with Ozempic but decrease over time in most patients. However, at the beginning of treatment this may affect your appetite. In one study, 58% of patients (231 of 402) receiving a semaglutide 1 mg dose experienced mild to moderate gastrointestinal side effects.
The most common side effects reported in 5% of patients treated with Ozempic are:
1) nausea.
2) vomiting
3) diarrhea.
4) abdominal (stomach) pain.
5) constipation.
How does Ozempic work
Ozempic mimics a natural hormone in your body called GLP-1. This hormone is produced by your digestive system in response to eating food. It acts on both the brain and the digestive system to regulate how full you feel after a meal. It slows down the emptying of your stomach into the rest of your digestive system. GLP-1 also regulates insulin secretion in response to eating meals so that your blood sugar is better controlled (even lowering blood sugar levels) and reduces your appetite by signalling to your brain that you've eaten a meal.
Ozempic acts just like this natural hormone to make you feel fuller for longer, reducing your cravings for more food, enhancing the way your body regulates blood sugar levels and the storage of fat. This can help patients lose weight.
As a GLP-1 receptor agonist, semaglutide enhances the effects of the naturally occurring hormone GLP-1. Dr. McGowan explains that in addition to its effects on blood glucose and diabetes, GLP-1 also impacts weight via two key mechanisms. Affects the hunger centers in the brain (specifically, in the hypothalamus), reducing hunger, appetite and cravings Slows the rate of stomach emptying, effectively prolonging fullness and satiety after meals The net result is decreased hunger, prolonged fullness and ultimately weight loss, adds Dr. McGowan.
Is Ozempic Safe
Ozempic is a safe medication with a variety of benefits. notes Fatima Cody Stanford, M.D., an obesity medicine physician-scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital, associate professor of Medicine and Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School Unit and advisory board member at Sweetch. Approximately 80% of patients with type 2 diabetes also have concurrent obesity. So these patients garner dual benefit for the treatment of their diabetes and obesity.
Ozempic has also been shown to reduce major adverse coronary events, including heart attacks and strokes, and offers a host of other benefits, adds Dr. Cody Stanford.
However ozempic isn’t safe for everyone. according to the company, people with the following
conditions should avoid using Ozempic:
1) Pancreatitis.
2) Type 1 diabetes.
3) Under 18 years of age.
4) Pregnant or breastfeeding.
5) Diabetic retinopathy.
6) Problems with the pancreas or kidneys.
7) Family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC).
8) Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2), an endocrine system condition.
What are some new weight loss medications
In 2014, the FDA approved liraglutide Saxenda for chronic weight management in obese or overweight adults with weight-related medical conditions, and the FDA expanded the approval age range to those aged 12 and older in 2020. In 2021, the FDA approved semaglutide Wegovy for chronic weight management in obese or overweight adults with high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes mellitus, or high cholesterol.
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