what? Have you ever used semaglutide for weight loss?

what? Have you ever used semaglutide for weight loss?

n recent years, semaglutide, as a new type of weight loss drug, has attracted widespread attention worldwide. This glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, developed by the Danish company Novo Nordisk, has changed people's perception of weight management with its simple weight loss method.

Semaglutide inhibits appetite by promoting insulin secretion, suppressing glucagon secretion, delaying gastric emptying, and increasing satiety. It also suppresses the role of the hypothalamic feeding center, achieving a dual effect of reducing blood sugar and weight. Last year, the global sales of this drug exceeded the $20 billion mark.

The weight loss effect of semaglutide

Clinical data shows that semaglutide has a significant weight loss effect. After 68.1 weeks of continuous injection, the patient's average weight decreased by 15%, with a median weight loss of 15.3 kilograms.

A domestic study published in The Lancet diabetes and Endocrinology also showed that the weight of patients who received 2.4 mg smeglutide per week decreased by 12.1% after 44 weeks, while that of the placebo group only decreased by 3.6%.

In addition, Wegovy (trade name for semaglutide) treatment can sustain weight loss in overweight or obese adult patients for over 65 weeks and can last for up to 4 years. At week 208, the average weight of patients in the Wegovy group decreased by 10.2%, waist circumference decreased by 7.7cm, and waist to height ratio decreased by 6.9%, while the corresponding data for the placebo group were 1.5%, 1.3cm, and 1.0%, respectively.

The safety of semaglutide

The side effects of semaglutide mainly manifest as initial gastrointestinal discomfort, including vomiting and diarrhea, and may be accompanied by fatigue and decreased appetite in the long term. These symptoms are mostly mild to moderate and gradually alleviate with prolonged medication, and most patients can tolerate them.

Long term use of semaglutide for weight loss may also face the risk of muscle and bone loss, especially for elderly people over 65 years old, who should be more cautious when using it. In addition, rapid weight loss may lead to facial aging and sagging.

In August 2023, the US FDA updated the safety label of semaglutide, warning that it may increase the risk of intestinal obstruction due to its "delayed gastric emptying" effect.

Compared with weight loss surgery, semaglutide has significant therapeutic effects and is safer

Semaglutide not only has therapeutic effects comparable to weight loss surgery, but also has superior safety. Weight loss drugs are the top choice in weight loss guidelines, and weight loss surgery has strict indication requirements, which are only considered when exercise, diet, and medication interventions are not effective.

Additional benefits of semaglutide beyond weight loss

Smeglutide is applicable to simple obese patients with BMI ≥ 30kg/m ², and patients with BMI ≥ 27kg/m ² and at least one obesity complication (such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, type 2 diabetes).

The ultimate goal of weight control is to reduce the risk of diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver, sleep disorders, cardiovascular diseases and even tumors in obese and overweight people. Therefore, weight control is long-term and even lifelong. In March 2024, the US FDA approved a new indication for Wegovy to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke in obese or overweight adults with cardiovascular disease. Semaglutide not only helps with weight loss, but also controls obesity complications, providing multiple benefits to the body.