A new study suggests that people taking popular injectable weight loss medications, including Wegovy and Ozempic, may be susceptible to serious complications.
In a research letter published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), University of British Columbia researchers noted that the individuals may be more likely to develop severe digestive problems such as stomach paralysis, pancreatitis, and bowel obstructions than those who take other weight loss medications, CNN reported.
The researchers’ findings were obtained by filtering through a random sample of more than 16 million insurance claims from a broad prescription drug database filed between 2006 and 2020.
While the probability of the complications occurring in individuals appeared to be low, researchers contend that demand for the medications has skyrocketed, with tens of millions using them globally.
They added that even uncommon risks could result in hundreds of thousands of additional cases.
“When you have millions of people using these drugs, you know, a 1% risk still translates to many people who may experience these events,” said lead study author Dr. Mahyar Etminan, an epidemiologist at the University of British Columbia.
Researchers looked for patients who received two injectable medications, semaglutide (injected weekly) and liraglutide (a daily injectable). The medicines are GLP-1 agonists, which delay the transit of food through the stomach.
They can help people with diabetes regulate their blood sugar and lead to significant weight loss for those with or without diabetes.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized semaglutide in 2021 for obese patients who do not have diabetes and need to lose weight. It is marketed as Ozempic when it is recommended for diabetes and Wegovy when used for weight reduction.
The prescribing information for Wegovy warns about several serious side effects,…
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