Nearly one in five people who took the anti-diabetic Ozempic to lose weight regained the lost pounds, or even more, after stopping the drug.
- A previous study showed that patients taking Ozempic lost between 8 and 11% of their weight in one year.
- New work reveals that 17.7% of patients end up regaining the weight they lost, or even gaining more.
- 18.7% taking injections of liraglutide, another anti-diabetic known as Saxenda, also returned to their initial weight after stopping.
Many people use antidiabetics based on semanglitudesold under the names Ozempic Or Wegovyto lose weight. But a new study, published on January 23, 2024 on epic Research, shows that the drug would not be truly “miraculous” for certain users. 17.7% of patients who took the drug with the aim of slimming their figure returned to their original weight, if not more, when they stopped following the treatment.
Ozempic : near one person in 5 regains the lost weight
In work published in April 2023the team demonstrated that patients taking the recommended doses ofOzempic (semanglitude) for 60 weeks (a little over a year) lost between 8% and 11% of their initial weight. However, some participants gained weight again when they stopped treatment. To evaluate the effects of stopping the semaglituderesearchers studied the records of 20,274 patients to whom a doctor had prescribed the injection, and who had then lost more than two kilos.
If a majority (56.2%) of former users remained at approximately the same weight or continued to lose pounds, 17.7% of participants regained all the pounds lost, or even exceeded their initial weight, one year after stopping the drug. Furthermore, 26% of people who tookOzempic, have regained at least 25% of the weight lost.
The researchers also studied the effects of injections of Liraglutideanother anti-diabetes treatment sometimes used for weight loss. They made a similar observation. 18.7% of former users had regained all or more of their lost weight after stopping the drug.
Sémaglitude : watch out for side effects
The molecule semaglitudepresent in the Ozempic and the Wegovyis an analogue of GLP-1a hormone playing an important role in the regulation of glucose and appetite. It stimulates the secretion of insulin and triggers a reaction that makes the brain believe that the stomach is full and that it is no longer necessary to eat. In addition to helping regulate blood sugar, this mechanism promotes weight loss. This has attracted the attention of non-diabetic people wishing to refine their figure.
In March 2023, Health Insurance had also confirmed the persistence of misuse of theOzempic and other similar antidiabetic drugs for weight loss. This situation has given rise to many fears among health professionals, such as the shortage of the drug for diabetic patients. Furthermore, regaining the weight lost with the treatment is not the only risk for its users. VSThis medication may cause side effects potentially unwanted serious, such as gastrointestinal disorders, pancreatitis or hypoglycemia.
The National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM) and Health Insurance have thus reminded several times during the year 2023 that “its prescription must be strictly reserved for patients with type 2 diabetes” And followed by a doctor.
