About

In the world of social media, Ozempic, originally designed as an injectable drug for type 2 diabetes, has become a sensation on platforms like TikTok for its perceived weight loss benefits. With over 360 million views under the hashtag Ozempic, this once-a-week medication is being hailed as 'Hollywood's worst kept secret' and is rumored to be associated with the weight loss journeys of celebrities like the Kardashians and Elon Musk.

In addition to its popularity for weight loss on social media, it's crucial to delve into the scientific context surrounding Ozempic's active ingredient, semaglutide. Semaglutide belongs to the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) class, recently approved and available in both subcutaneous and oral formulations. GLP-1RAs, including semaglutide, have demonstrated efficacy in improving glycemic control and inducing weight loss.

What is Ozempic?

Ozempic, also known as semaglutide, serves as an injectable drug for adults dealing with type 2 diabetes. Its active ingredient mimics a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), targeting areas in the brain that regulate appetite and food intake. Although not officially approved for weight loss, studies sponsored by the manufacturer suggest that people taking semaglutide may experience weight loss.

Side Effects of Ozempic

While considered safe for individuals with diabetes, Ozempic is not suitable for everyone. It has shown the potential to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in individuals with diabetes. However, experts emphasize that lifestyle changes are crucial, as stopping Ozempic could lead to regaining lost weight. Short-term side effects include gastrointestinal issues, but rare and serious side effects encompass inflammation of the pancreas, hypoglycemia, changes in vision, and potential risks of thyroid tumors or cancer.

Click Here to Know the Side Effects of Semaglutide

Safety of Ozempic

While Ozempic gains attention for its off-label use in weight loss, health professionals caution against its cosmetic use, emphasizing the impact on those who genuinely need it for managing type 2 diabetes. The Ozempic phenomenon raises questions about the responsible use of medications and the potential consequences of their viral promotion on social media.

Did You Know?

Ozempic is not a cure for obesity. While some individuals using the medication have experienced notable weight loss, it is essential to continue taking this expensive drug indefinitely. On discontinuing the medication or if there are alterations to the drug regimen, almost 97% of all individuals attempting to lose weight, are likely to regain the lost weight and possibly more.

However, the safety of GLP-1RAs, especially semaglutide, has been a subject of scrutiny. Extensive phase 3 registration trials, such as SUSTAIN (Semaglutide Unabated Sustainability in Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes) and PIONEER (Peptide InnOvatioN for the Early diabEtes tReatment), have addressed safety concerns, including cardiovascular outcomes, hypoglycemia, gastrointestinal side effects, pancreatic safety, thyroid cancer, gallbladder events, cardiovascular aspects, acute kidney injury, diabetic retinopathy (DRP) complications, and injection-site and allergic reactions.

The safety review concludes that semaglutide typically induces mild-to-moderate and transient gastrointestinal disturbances and increases the risk of biliary disease, specifically cholelithiasis. While no unexpected safety issues have arisen to date, definitive conclusions regarding pancreatic and thyroid cancer risk cannot be drawn due to the low incidence of these conditions(1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Safety of Semaglutide

Go to source).

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Conclusion

Despite these considerations, semaglutide's potent glucose-lowering effects, along with its positive metabolic and cardiovascular actions, contribute to an overall favorable risk/benefit profile for patients with type 2 diabetes. Nonetheless, individuals at risk for deterioration of existing DRP should be closely monitored when treated with semaglutide, especially if concurrently receiving insulin therapy.

The Crunch of Ozempic

Despite its popularity, the off-label use of Ozempic has caused a global shortage of the drug. Countries like Australia have announced unavailability until March 2023 due to a surge in demand. Authorities in the UK and Australia caution against online promotions of such drugs, emphasizing ethical standards and regulations. Manufacturing companies have noted the shortage, citing a $1.6 billion investment to increase production capacity and vowing to collaborate with authorities to meet demand promptly.

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