Ozempic and Wegovy, launched by the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, have received much praise on social media outlets as “magic weight loss drugs” by some people who are keen to lose weight.
They both contain semaglutide as the main ingredient. Tesla CEO Elon Musk once said on Twitter that in addition to paying attention to his diet, he also used Ozempic and Wegovy, which is one of the secrets to his successful 30-pound weight loss.
Semaglutide is a drug known for being a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It mimics the natural hormone GLP-1 released when eating, which can delay gastric emptying, promote satiety, reduce appetite, and control blood sugar levels by regulating insulin secretion. But it also has side effects, such as headache, dizziness, fatigue, and gastrointestinal issues.
Semaglutide for Weight Loss
Ozempic, originally designed to treat Type 2 diabetes, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017. The medication is used to help control and lower blood sugar levels for diabetics but also has weight loss effects.Story continues below advertisement
According to a study, from 2009 to 2020, the prevalence of diabetes in adults aged 20-44 in the United States increased from 3 percent to 4.1 percent, and the obesity rate increased from 32.7 percent to 40.9 percent.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who are overweight (body mass index (BMI) equal to or more than 25) or obese (BMI equal to or more than 30) are at higher risk for several serious diseases than people of normal weight, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and certain cancers.
In a 2016 study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers randomized 3,297 patients with Type 2 diabetes on a standard treatment regimen to receive once-weekly subcutaneous injections of semaglutide (0.5 mg or 1.0 mg) or a placebo, for approximately two years.
Among patients with Type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk, those who received semaglutide had a 26 percent lower risk of non-fatal myocardial infarction and a 26 percent lower risk of non-fatal stroke compared with those in the placebo group, the study found. Compared with the placebo group, mean body weight was 2.9 kg (6.4 lb) and 4.3 kg (9.5 lb) lower in the semaglutide 0.5 mg and 1.0 mg groups, respectively. Patients treated with semaglutide also had a reduced risk of nephropathy, but a significantly increased risk of retinopathy.
Mechanism of Action of Semaglutide
Hormones are chemical messengers that coordinate different functions in the body, sending messages through the blood to the organs, skin, muscles, and other tissues. Hormones and most of the tissues that produce and release them (mainly the glands) make up the body’s endocrine system.During eating, the body produces hormones to help digestion, including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). GLP-1 is a gut hormone that is released into the bloodstream after eating and stimulates insulin secretion by enhancing the insulinotropic effect of glucose.
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GLP-1 receptors are abundant in many tissues of the human body. GLP-1 acts directly on the pancreatic endocrine glands, heart, stomach, and brain—while semaglutide mimics the GLP-1 hormone through the following three key mechanisms to exert its influence on body weight.
- Stimulate insulin secretion and inhibit glucagon secretion, thereby reducing blood sugar levels.
Insulin is the hormone that lowers blood sugar levels, while glucagon is the hormone that raises blood sugar levels. A GLP-1 analog, semaglutide increases incretin levels, helping the body produce more insulin when needed, and also suppresses the amount of glucose produced by the liver. - Slow down the speed of gastric digestion and emptying of food, effectively prolonging the feeling of fullness after meals, so that you will not eat too much.
Studies have shown that GLP-1 can delay gastric emptying and intestinal motility in both healthy and obese people, as well as in patients with Type 2 diabetes. - Interact with the part of the brain that suppresses appetite and signals satiety, thereby reducing food intake.
It was found that patients taking semaglutide lost 14.9 percent of their body weight, compared with a 2.4 percent weight loss in those taking the placebo.
Based on these studies, the FDA approved Ozempic’s sister product, Wegovy, in 2021 for use in people who are obese or overweight, and those who are trying to lose weight. However, semaglutide is not without side effects.
Side Effects and Caveats in Taking Semaglutide
The side effects of semaglutide are mild compared with the complications brought about by overweight and obesity, according to the University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA) Health Center. People who take it to lose weight may experience the following problems:- Headache.
- Dizziness.
- Fatigue.
- Gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhea, constipation, and flatulence.
- Stomach complaints, including nausea, vomiting, pain, or bloating.
The UCLA Health Center states that the FDA recommends the use of Wegovy for weight loss if one of the following criteria is met:
- A body mass index (BMI) of 27 or higher, and at least one weight-related disease, such as high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol.
- BMI is 30 or higher.
- History of medullary thyroid cancer.
- History of gallbladder disease.
- History of pancreatitis.
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2.
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