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· Rapid Fat Loss
· Appetite Suppression
· Improved Insulin Sensitivity
· Controlled Blood Sugar Levels
· Maintenance of Overall Health
It’s an injectable medication that mimics the effects of glucagon-like peptide-1, GLP-1, which helps to improve insulin sensitivity and control blood sugar levels while reducing feelings of hunger, thus promoting weight loss while maintaining overall health.
Semaglutide is a member of one of the newest classes of medications used to treat Type-2 diabetes called GLP-1 agonists. When GLP-1 agonists were initially used to treat Type-2 diabetes many patients also lost weight and were found to have a host of health benefits including a reduction of cardiovascular events such as coronary artery disease and stroke, prevention and regression of Type-2 diabetes plus many others. Semaglutide is maximally effective for weight loss at doses that are significantly higher than what is currently recommended for the treatment of Type-2 diabetes.
Semaglutide is marketed under the names of Ozempic™ and Rybelsus™ for the treatment of Type-2 Diabetes. Semaglutide is sold under the name of Wegovy™ for the treatment of obesity and in patients that are overweight who also have other cardiometabolic risk factors such as hypertension, pre-diabetes, Type-2 diabetes, and hyperlipidemia, to name a few. Currently, Wegovy™ is generally not covered by insurance and costs about $1,300 per month. Despite this, at the time that this article was written Wegovy™ was listed on the FDA list of drugs that are in short supply.
Semaglutide is safe and well-tolerated, with minimal side effects. When people do get side effects, they are generally mild and often improve over time. To minimize their occurrence the semaglutide is started at a very low dose and increased gradually over 5 weeks. Studies show that maximal weight loss is achieved at the maximal dose. The most common side effects of semaglutide are gastro-intestinal such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, heartburn, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, upset stomach, belching, and gas. Fatigue, headache, tiredness, and dizziness are less common.
Some patients report that if semaglutide is stopped, weight loss is reversed. That being said, there are no studies to determine if behavioral support and lifestyle changes will prevent weight gain if semaglutide is stopped. What is known is that obesity is epidemic and resistant to conventional treatments and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality.
Semaglutide has been shown to be a game-changer in the fight against obesity and the fight against coronary artery disease, stroke, Type-2 Diabetes, premature death and disability. Therefore, using semaglutide for treating high risk chronically overweight patients is a very reasonable option and a lifesaver for many.
