Semaglutide is an anti-diabetic drug used to treat type 2 diabetes and to help people lose weight. Using semaglutide for weight loss has been approved by the FDA as the first medication for chronic weight management in adults. Losing weight has become within reach since the rollout of this medication. Here are the things to know about the role of semaglutide for weight loss.
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What Is Semaglutide and Things to Know About Semaglutide for Weight Loss
What Is Semaglutide?
Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) with a long elimination half-life that can be administered subcutaneously (sc) once a week. In patients with type 2 diabetes, the weight reduction efficacy of once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide appears to be superior to that of other once-weekly GLP-1 RAs (T2DM).
Semaglutide costs 195.06 USD at the manufacturer’s submission price under the brand name Ozempic. This medicine is available only with a doctor’s prescription.
Semaglutide For Weight Loss
Lowers Blood Sugar Levels
Semaglutide works by boosting insulin secretion, a hormone produced by the pancreas that aids with blood sugar regulation. Insulin is a hormone that allows glucose from the blood to enter cells, giving them the energy they need to function. The deficiency of insulin is one of the main reasons that cause diabetes. The pancreas is an organ behind the stomach that produces the majority of the body’s insulin.
It also helps avoid blood sugar increases by lowering the amount of sugar produced by your liver and slowing the passage of food through your stomach.
Reduces Appetite
Another role of semaglutide is helping you strictly follow a reduced-calorie diet. It affects brain areas and decreases hunger at larger dosages. According to a 12-week study on the mechanism of action for body weight loss, semaglutide was linked to reduced appetite and food cravings, improved eating control, and a lower preference for high-fat foods.
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Who Should Be Prescribed Semaglutide?
Let’s say you have tried all the other ways to lose weight, such as changing your lifestyle, exercising more frequently, or even cutting down on your daily calorie intake. However, there is no sign of an effect, or your weight is just decreasing very slowly. At this point, considering consulting a doctor about using semaglutide for weight loss can be a solution.
Semaglutide can come as a great relief to obese people. Timothy Garvey, M.D, Professor of Medicine and Chair of the Department of Nutrition Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said that “It looks like semaglutide 2.4 mg is effective and safe across a wide spectrum of patients with obesity who might be prescribed this drug, whether you are older or younger, higher BMI or lower, and regardless of race/ethnicity.”
Specifically, semaglutide benefits patients with a BMI of 27 kg/m2 or greater who have at least one weight-related disease or patients with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or greater.
How Has Semaglutide Been Proven to Be Effective for Weight Loss?
In a series of four 68-week studies, the safety and effectiveness of semaglutide were examined. In these four studies, over 2,600 volunteers got semaglutide, whereas more than 1,500 volunteers received a placebo.
Adults without diabetes took part in this study. The average age of the patients at the start of the study was 46, and 74% of them were female. The average BMI was 38 kg/m2, and the average body weight was 231 pounds (105 kg). Compared to those who got a placebo, those who received semaglutide dropped an average of 12.4% of their starting body weight.
Patients with type 2 diabetes were included in another study. The average age was 55, and 51% of the participants were female. The average BMI was 36 kg/m2, and the average body weight was 220 pounds (100 kg). Individuals who got semaglutide lost 6.2% of their initial body weight compared to those who received a placebo.
There are a variety of ways to reduce your body weight. Semaglutide has come a long way to become one of the medications for helping you not only with treating diabetes but also with achieving the desired body shape.
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