The risks of losing weight with antidiabetics
Antidiabetics per lose weight trending among VIPs and on social media. But to which one cost for health? If the adverse effects ofuse of semaglutide off-label (i.e. “off label”, used in clinical practice to treat unforeseen conditions in regulatory-approved product specification documents) of these drugs on people who they are not affected by diabetes or clinical obesity are not yet well defined, another negative aspect is already clear: yesi is jeopardizing the availability of products for those who really need them. The notification, in the form of informative note sent to healthcare workers on March 6, arrives fromAifa (Italian Medicines Agency), which reports the shortage, in particular, of one of the antidiabetic drugs based on semaglutide.
Aifa’s note
The information note from Aifa follows the communication received from the company Novo Nordisk, which reports that it has registered a shortage of Ozempicthe solution for injection in a pre-filled pen.
“L’increase in demand on Ozempic® – reads the note – led to deficiencies which are expected to continue for all of 2023. While supply continues to increase, it is not possible to predict with certainty when it will be sufficient to fully meet current demand.”.
The agency urges health professionals to inform patients who use Ozempic of the risk of running out of product ea consider an alternative therapy, to avoid clinical consequences such as hyperglycemia. The note mentions that this drug is indicated exclusively for the treatment of adults with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes mellitusin addition to diet and exercise. “Every other use, including weight management, is one use off-label and currently jeopardizes the availability of Ozempic for the indicated population”.
The potential side effects
The active ingredient of Ozempic, as well as that of other medicines, is semaglutide. It is a molecule similar to the hormone Glp-1, produced by the body for stimulate the release of insulin when blood sugar (glucose) levels are high. Semaglutide binds to the same cell receptors as Glp-1 and produces the same effects on blood sugar. Furthermore slows down the rate at which the stomach emptiesreducing appetite.
And, in fact, one side effect that emerged during clinical trials was the weight loss by the majority of diabetic patients (we told you about it Who). This has led to the use of semaglutide pharmaceutical products for weight loss only, even though regulatory authorities they haven’t approved it yet for such a use, not even for patients with a clinical diagnosis of obesity.
The drug, however, is prescribed off-labelbut the therapy should be followed below careful medical supervision. The nausea is one of the most common effects of taking the drug (15-20% both in patients and in those who take it “only” to lose weight), together with vomitdiarrhea and abdominal pains. But even more serious consequences have been reported: hypoglycemia, fatigue, mental fogincreased heart rate, hair lossaltered taste, acute pancreatitis (even at low doses), biliary problems, more rarely severe constipation e intestinal obstruction.
Following the results on laboratory animals, they have also been advanced suspects for an increased risk of thyroid cancer after years of use.
To all this we must add the fact that the adverse effects of semaglutide on healthy people (without type two diabetes or obesity) they were not specifically investigatedtherefore typology and entity are not yet completely clear.
Via: Wired.it
Credits immagine: Siora Photography are Unsplash