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July 26, 2024
There once was a time where we would ask people, ‘“what diet are you doing, Atkins?” and “who’s exercise tapes are you following?”
However, those times have changed. Now we ask the infamous question, “are you doing Mounjaro or Ozempic?”
The use of weight-loss drugs has become exponentially popular. Although, most of us don’t know a lot about how these drugs works, and more importantly, how safe they are. But don’t worry, I’ve done all the research, so you don’t have to!
First, you’re probably wondering why these drugs have only become popular now. Well, that’s because semaglutide, the main ingredient in these drugs, was only approved by the FDA in late 2017.
What is semaglutide?
So, how does it work? Semaglutide targets the incretin hormone system, the pathway responsible for lowering blood glucose levels.
In this pathway, Glucagon-like peptide 1 hormones (GLP-1) are released from cells of the small intestine and colon when nutrients, with glucose, enter the digestive tract. The hormones bind to GLP-1 receptors in body tissues of the pancreas, stomach, heart, kidneys, and hypothalamus. The hormone-receptor binding complex stimulates insulin release from the pancreas when glucose levels in the blood are high. This in turn suppresses appetite. Semaglutide acts as a GLP-1 agonist but has a higher resistance to degredation by enzymes than GLP-1, therefore suppressing appetite for longer.
Well what do we do with semaglutide?
Got it. But how do you actually use semaglutide? Treatment with a starting dose is given via once-weekly injections in the thigh, upper arm, or abdomen for four weeks. After four weeks, the next highest dose is administered in the same time increments, until a maximal dose is reached.
Does it really work?
OK. Now that we understand how it works, how effective is it really? Well, a mass randomized control trial conducted in 2022, with over 4,000 participants, showed that semaglutide caused significant weight loss in obese and overweight patients across follow-up durations as long as 68 weeks.
Is it safe to use?
But, finally, is it safe? Data from the STEP 5 trial program shows that after two years of semaglutide use, the most commonly reported side-effects were mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal disorders, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation. That aside, semaglutide use has proven itself to be a seemingly safe medication to use.
So, now that you’re up to date on the ins and outs of semaglutide treatments, any predictions for what the next weight loss trend is going to be?