New investigation reveals potentially fatal side effects of popular weight-loss drugs
Every coin has two sides and so does every miracle. While it gives a person an advantage, it also gives them a disadvantage. Popular weight-loss drugs like Ozempic have been revolutionary in weight loss with a plethora of celebrities jumping on the bandwagon.
However, their side-effects including tooth decay, droopy face, saggy butt and hair loss have not been hidden from the eyes of all.
Now, a UK regulator is shedding light on much more serious and potentially fatal side effects of these drugs. The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's (MHRA) Yellow Card scheme, the official system for collecting and monitoring reports of suspected side effects or reactions to drugs and devices, has recently received over 400 reports of serious pancreas trouble from users of GLP-1.
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Acute pancreatitis is a sudden and extremely painful inflammation of the pancreas that causes people severe abdominal pain, nausea and fever. In the UK, there have been at least 10 deaths linked to this condition among users of GLP-1. Among the users of Mounjaro, there have been 181 reported cases of acute or chronic pancreatitis with 5 deaths.
While the pamphlets on these famous drugs note that pancreatitis is an uncommon reaction that only affects one in 100 users, the condition is deemed serious enough to require an investigation.
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'Sometimes genes can influence the side‑effects an individual experiences when taking a medicine,' the MHRA told The Guardian. Thus along with Genomics England, MHRA is launching a new study to see if people's genes put them at a higher risk of developing pancreatitis while taking GLP-1 drugs. Those who have pancreatitis while using the jabs will be asked to provide a saliva sample and have their genes tested.
Novo Nordisk, which produces Ozempic and Wegovy, advised people to take the medications only for their approved indications and under the strict supervision of a healthcare professional. 'We continuously collect safety data on our marketed GLP-1 medicines and work closely with the authorities to ensure patient safety. The benefit-risk profile of our GLP-1 medicines remains positive, and we welcome any new research that will improve our understanding of treatments for people living with chronic diseases," they told the outlet.
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