Semaglutide, the compound popularized under its trade name Ozempic, is an injectable medication originally intended to treat type 2 diabetes. However, in the last year, this treatment has become a tool to combat obesity and overweight. Although effective, it is far from being a miracle treatment.
Effective, with limits. During the last year, a drug intended to treat diabetes, Ozempic, has become a promise when it comes to avoiding obesity. Despite its proven effectiveness in this regard, it must be borne in mind that it is not a miracle treatment. Like so many other ways to fight obesity, liraglutide has an important problem: the rebound effect.
In a study carried out in this context and published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, patients treated with liraglutide as a way to alleviate obesity problems, recovered an average of two-thirds of the weight lost during treatment.
Another of the documented problems regarding this alternative use of the drug has been the lack of supply. This occurred shortly after some famous people ” viralized ” this use of the treatment, and came to force the reaction of the Spanish health authorities, even though its use here is restricted to the treatment of diabetes.
Side effects. Like any other medication, semaglutide also has side effects. Potential side effects considered “serious” with this medication are restricted to diabetic eye disease and, rarely, inflammation in the pancreas and possible allergic reactions.
The treatment also causes other milder but at the same time more common adverse effects, such as nausea, diarrhea, or, also in its prescribed use for diabetics, hypoglycemia. Nausea and diarrhea, mind you, tend to go away over time.
Until you get enough. Semaglutide works as an analog of the GLP-1 hormone. This hormone is secreted during our digestive process. What this drug does is slow down intestinal transit, thus promoting the feeling of satiety and, at the same time, being able to cause nausea.
In summary, Ozempic increases our feeling of satiety, thereby causing us to consume less food and thus lose weight. Interestingly, there is also some evidence that this drug leads to lower alcohol consumption.
The most visible face, but not the only one. And despite everything, the appearance of Ozempic on the map is good news. Beyond the advice not to get carried away by the health recommendations of the celebrities on duty, drugs like this can help us fight, not against obesity itself, but against the great health challenge of our era: non-communicable diseases.
Ozempic is not the only drug with the potential to help us in this fight, but above all what has become clear is that the treatment of these problems should not be left solely in the hands of a drug (or at least not for now), but rather It must include a deeper change in our lifestyles.
Sharlene Meriel is an avid gamer with a knack for technology. He has been writing about the latest technologies for the past 5 years. His contribution in technology journalism has been noteworthy. He is also a day trader with interest in the Forex market.
