According to Chinese researchers, popular celebrity weight-loss medications such as Wegovy and Ozempic may have serious side effects. These medications are used by celebrities to lose weight.
In a study that will be published in the monthly journal Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, researchers believe that taking those medications carries an “increased risk” of causing intestinal obstruction.
The medications are composed of the peptide semaglutide, which is a derivative of the hormone GLP-1, which comes from the small intestine.
Semaglutide mimics this hormone, which slows digestion and makes you feel fuller for longer, resulting in weight loss.
Despite the fact that this medication can help treat obesity and type 2 diabetes by lowering a person’s glucose levels and encouraging weight loss, there has been concern about a possible adverse effect.
Long-term adverse events like an increased risk of intestinal obstruction have been reported in diabetic patients, which is 4.5 times higher than in patients taking other glucose control medications, despite their efficacy and safety profiles being widely accepted, the researchers wrote about the medication.
The researchers also mentioned that “a real-world study of 25,617 subjects demonstrated a 3.5-fold increase in the intestinal obstruction rate associated with GLP-1RA treatment.”
The manufacturer of the medication, Novo Norodisk, stated to The Post that “GLP-1 receptor agonists have been used to treat type 2 diabetes for more than 15 years” and that “Novo Nordisk products that have been on the market for more than 10 years” are among the products.
The representative stated, “Gastrointestinal side effects are well-known GLP-1 RA class side effects.” The majority are brief and of mild to moderate severity.
The spokesperson went on to say that Novo Nordisk has “completed clinical studies” that were carried out internally and lasted “up to 2.5 years.”
The representative stated, “Patient safety is of the utmost importance to Novo Nordisk. We are constantly collecting safety data on our marketed GLP-1 RAs and working closely with authorities to ensure patient safety.”
In addition, the researchers cited two studies, one from 2020 and the other from 2022, that demonstrated a link between intestinal problems and GLP-1.
However, because they were observational in nature, they were unable to establish a direct connection.
According to the Mayo Clinic, an intestinal obstruction occurs when a blockage prevents food or liquid from passing through your small or large intestine.
It can result in an infection known as peritonitis if it is not treated, which can also result in the death of the blocked parts of the intestine.
According to the organization, the infection is a life-threatening condition that frequently necessitates surgery.
They pointed out that the clinical trials for Wegovy only tested that for 16 months. In their letter, they explained that their own observations of rats who took the drug showed that after three months of treatment with GLP-1b drugs, the average length of the small intestine increased by 43%.
They likewise noticed that the clinical preliminaries that have been finished on people have not shown similar changes in our guts.
The researchers explained that adults can be difficult to measure the length of the small intestine and that constipation, which is a sign of intestinal obstruction, is the same as slower digestion, which is a side effect of the drug.
However, independent experts who were not involved in the study told the Daily Mail that the “medication should be safe for most” and that a patient’s bowel history should be looked at before prescribing the medication.
Patients can administer the popular medication themselves by injecting it once per week. Wegovy has a maximum dose of 2.4 milligrams.
Numerous celebrities, including comedian Chelsea Handler, who claimed that she “didn’t know” she was taking Ozempic, have admitted to taking the weight-loss drug at one point or another in recent months.
She claimed that her doctor simply “gives it to everyone.”
“I injected myself with it after I returned from a vacation. I went to lunch with a sweetheart a couple of days after the fact, and she was like, ‘I’m not actually eating anything. During an appearance on the podcast “Call Her Daddy” on January 25, she recalled, “I’m so nauseous, I’m on Ozempic.”
