What to know about Ozempic: Diabetes drug used off-label for weight loss sparks warnings
This rising popularity, fuelled by social media and anecdotal success stories, has prompted medical professionals to caution against its unsupervised use.
Here's what you need to know about Ozempic, its side effects, and why expert supervision is essential before considering it for weight loss.
What is Ozempic?
Ozempic is a medication primarily approved for managing type 2 diabetes. Its active ingredient, semaglutide, mimics a hormone that targets areas of the brain involved in appetite regulation.
Initially designed for diabetes treatment, Ozempic has gained popularity as a weight loss aid, even among non-diabetic individuals.
Can Ozempic be used for weight loss?
According to Universiti Teknologi MARA consultant endocrinologist Prof Dr Rohana Abdul Ghani, Ozempic is not intended for use as a weight loss medication for non-diabetic patients.
'Ozempic is approved in Malaysia specifically for managing type 2 diabetes. However, semaglutide's weight loss benefits have led some to seek it off-label for obesity treatment,' she said.
For non-diabetic patients, semaglutide should be administered at a higher dose of 2.4mg weekly under another brand name, which is unavailable in Malaysia, she added.
'The off-label use of Ozempic among non-diabetic patients has led to a shortage for those with type 2 diabetes and reduced efficacy due to the lower dose,' said Dr Rohana.
She also highlighted studies suggesting that regular use of weight loss drugs might establish a 'new normal' in the body, potentially leading to weight gain. One study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that low doses of semaglutide (between 0.25mg and 0.5mg) were linked to weight gain in some patients.
What are the potential side effects?
As with any medication, Ozempic comes with potential side effects.
Dr Rohana said common gastrointestinal side effects include nausea, vomiting, constipation, or diarrhoea, which are typically self-limiting and subside within one to two weeks.
She added that rare side effects include skin reactions at the injection site and worsening eyesight, particularly in patients with high blood sugar experiencing rapid improvement.
'Ozempic should not be used by patients with a history of thyroid cancer due to the rare risk of pancreatitis,' she said.
Who shouldn't take Ozempic without medical advice?
Dr Rohana stressed that no one should take Ozempic without consulting a doctor.
'Medications like Ozempic for obesity should be paired with proper diet and lifestyle changes. Without these, there's a risk of complications such as significant muscle mass loss or kidney issues from severe vomiting,' she said.
'These medications should only be prescribed by clinicians who are familiar with their effects and risks,' she added.
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Fox News
20 hours ago
- Fox News
DR. MARC SIEGEL: More bad news about our kids' health. Is Ozempic the solution?
The disturbing news about our young children's health is coming at us fast and furious. First we find out that there is an obesity epidemic among our youth, that more than 20% (perhaps more) are now obese, and I can tell you as a practicing internist that today's obese child could be tomorrow's obese adult with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure or stroke. And now we find out that, according to the latest CDC data, a third of all children ages 12 to 17 have pre-diabetes. Please note: this is not connected to the kind of diabetes (type 1) that is autoimmune or tied to genetics and the most common form diagnosed it childhood, but the kind (type 2) where you don't make enough insulin to drive the glucose you have into the cells and where insulin resistance builds up. And it doesn't take actual type 2 diabetes to do that. Pre-diabetes is well on the road to actual diabetes, though it can often still be reversed by lifestyle changes. The inflammation and excess glucose associated with pre-diabetes can also damage kidneys, coronary arteries, retinas, and nerves, whether a child goes on to develop full type 2 diabetes or not. Considering that between 21 and 40% of obese patients have pre-diabetes, and considering that the GLP1 agonist drugs including Ozempic and Wegovy are highly effective at not just glucose control but also weight loss, and adding to that they appear to have cardioprotective effects and are also seemingly good for the brain, it is no surprise that there is a huge clamor for them all across America. So shouldn't all of our children with a weight or sugar problem be on them? The answer is a resounding no. Not only are there concerns about gastrointestinal side effects and intolerance, but optical side effects (headaches, macular degeneration, and even loss of vision have been reported) need to be further studied along with thyroid cancer concerns. Currently, there is no data on long-term side effects and a child who, once committed to them, could be on these drugs for life. It is easy to see that the benefits outweigh the risks much more for adults than for most children. Also, at a time when there is an epidemic of social media and excess screen-time addiction, where our children's diets are filled with ultra-processed high-sugar foods, when too many children are not exercising, I feel it would be a big mistake to rush to these semaglutide drugs as a quick fix to the problem. Don't get me wrong, I much prefer the drugs to the long-term side effects of obesity, which include all the diseases and more mentioned above. If I knew for sure that a child was in a group where they were destined for diabetes or heart disease because of their weight and I could do something about it, of course I would, but most of the time there are lifestyle changes to promote first. Clearly, we have a long way to go to improve our kids' diets, but now is the time to start. For those children with persistent obesity and/or prediabetes, a nutritionist along with an endocrinologist should be involved, but for most, it should be a very runway before the Ozempic or Wegovy plane is launched, at least for now.
Newsweek
a day ago
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Ozempic Could Change Births in America
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. More babies could be born because of Ozempic as it can improve fertility and has led to surprise pregnancies, experts have told Newsweek. There have been multiple reports of an "Ozempic babies" phenomenon after women reported becoming pregnant on the drug, even while on birth control in some cases. Last month, the United Kingdom's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care, urged women on Ozempic and other similar weight loss drugs to make sure they are on effective birth control if they do not want to conceive. Professor Alexander Miras, a clinical professor of medicine who has led studies on how weight loss interventions influence live birth rates in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), told Newsweek that this is happening because women with obesity often have no periods and do not routinely use contraception. Photo-illustration by Newsweek/GettyCanva "Medications for obesity cause significant weight loss and this can rapidly improve fertility, thus the unwanted pregnancies," he said. Similarly, reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Patricia Jimenez, from WashU Medicine, told Newsweek: "For people with irregular menstrual cycles, weight loss has been shown to increase ovulation and therefore pregnancy." "Weight loss also can improve semen parameters," she added. However, Jimenez stressed that these drugs "are not fertility medications, and for people struggling with infertility, the best option is to talk with a specialist about fertility treatment." Meanwhile Karin Hammarberg, a senior research fellow at Monash University who has authored several pieces on "Ozempic babies," said that unwanted pregnancies from weight loss drugs could be a cause for concern. "They will cause some unexpected and unplanned pregnancies, which is concerning since we don't know how this drug might affect the growing fetus," she told Newsweek. While a lot is still unknown about Ozempic, its ability to affect fertility may have an impact on the number of births in America, which is, along with most other countries, struggling with declining birth rates. Could Ozempic Lead to an Increase in Birth Rates? "We may indeed observe an increase in birth rates because a previously untreated population of women with infertility will now have more access to effective pharmacotherapy for obesity that can rapidly improve their fertility," Miras said. While Hammarberg agrees that weight loss drugs could add a number of births to the total, she does not believe it "will make any difference to birth rates at a population level." Jimenez said "we need more data to understand whether these medications will have a significant impact on birth rates" as "there is no evidence that weight loss increases live birth rates in people with regular ovulatory cycles or with fertility treatments." America's fertility rates are projected to average 1.6 births per woman over the next three decades, according to the Congressional Budget Office's latest forecast released this year. This number is well below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman required to maintain a stable population without immigration. With financial struggles and worries often cited as reasons for people having fewer children, solutions often focus on calling for policies that include making child care, health care, housing and education more accessible. Others have focused on cultural impacts. For example, Norway is a global leader in parental leave and child care policies, but is still facing a birth rate crisis. Its Birth Rate Committee has pointed largely to cultural changes, including the fact that fewer people are having their first child before the age of 30 because lower rates of couples in their 20s are staying together. Dr. Jonathan Sher, founding partner of Scotland's Coalition for Healthier Pregnancies, Better Lives and the former deputy director of the Queen's Nursing Institute Scotland, is one of several who have urged countries to look at fertility and pregnancies as a way of tackling birth rates. He previously wrote that remedies linked to finances are "built on the assumption that people of childbearing potential are increasingly choosing not to become parents." Sher said that focusing on achieving healthier fertility and pregnancies could save multiple "unhappy endings" which includes miscarriages, stillbirths, therapeutic terminations, very premature deliveries, harm to the mother's health and/or her future reproductive life, as well as babies born with life-limiting birth defects. "These are pregnancies intended to be full term and produce healthy babies who will grow up to become net assets to their economies and societies," Sher said. Although saving all of these pregnancies would be impossible, "many of these unwelcome outcomes could, and should, have been prevented through robust, universal, effective policies and practices under the umbrella of preconception and interconception health, education and care," he said. How Does Ozempic Work? Ozempic is an injectable prescription drug that was developed to manage blood sugar levels in patients with Type 2 diabetes. It has surged in popularity because of how it assists weight loss. It is based on a naturally occurring human hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which plays an important role in regulating appetite and blood sugar levels. Its active ingredient is a molecule called semaglutide, which mimics the structure of this GLP-1 hormone and activates its receptors. In doing so, semaglutide induces feelings of fullness while delaying the emptying of the stomach, making users feel less hungry and therefore less likely to overeat. Jamie Winn, of the online pharmacy Universal Drugstore, previously told Newsweek that "Ozempic may interfere with the absorption of oral contraceptives, which can reduce their effectiveness and lead to an unwanted pregnancy." "If you are taking Ozempic and an oral contraceptive, it is recommended that you also use a barrier method of birth control such as a condom," Winn added. "Another option is to switch to a long-acting reversible contraceptive such as an IUD." But, like Jimenez, Winn said: "While Ozempic may increase fertility, caution should be taken if you get pregnant while on this medication. There is not enough information on the use of Ozempic by pregnant women, and there were adverse outcomes in animal studies. Pregnant rats that were given Ozempic had an increased rate of fetal death and birth defects. "Because it can take up to six weeks for Ozempic to be cleared from your body, it is recommended that you stop Ozempic at least two months before you plan on getting pregnant," Winn said. "If you become pregnant or think you are pregnant while on Ozempic, stop taking the medication and call your health care provider immediately."
Gizmodo
2 days ago
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This Simple Strategy Could Curb One of Semaglutide's Worst Side Effects
Semaglutide's ability to help people lose weight is legendary, but so are the side effects. The active ingredient in medications Wegovy and Ozempic, semaglutide is renowned for causing severe nausea in some people, sometimes to the extent that they stop treatment. But new research published in the journal Diabetes Care suggests there may be a simple way to combat that effect. Led by a team in Israel, the researchers found that giving people more time and flexibility to ramp up to the recommended 1 milligram dose of the drug seemed correlated with lower levels of nausea. People who followed the slower dosing schedule also seemed less likely to stop using the drug than those who followed a more typical regimen. What's more, the slow-and-steady group still lost about as much weight as their peers. Semaglutide works by mimicking GLP-1, a hormone that plays a key role in regulating our metabolism and hunger. Since U.S. regulators first approved the drug in 2017 to treat diabetes, it has become highly sought after for its appetite-stifling effects and weight-loss benefits—but it has its trade-offs. At least a third of people taking GLP-1s report feeling nauseous, while others also experience constipation and gastrointestinal distress. How Ozempic Works—and What's Still a Mystery As people increase their dose of the drug, the unpleasant GI effects can get worse before they get better. Typically, they fade over time once people reach their recommended dose, but at least some never make it that far and just stop taking the medication. In the new trial, researchers split 104 people with type 2 diabetes into two groups: One set took increasing amounts of semaglutide on a typical, 8-week dosing program, while the other group ramped up their dose on a slower, more flexible schedule that took 16 weeks. People in the second group were also told to hold off on upping their dose if they experienced any GI symptoms and wait till they felt better. Both groups were tracked for 24 weeks. Overall, both groups saw similar improvements to their weight and blood sugar control. But flexible users were less likely to report having nausea than their peers (45.1% vs 64.2%), and experienced fewer days of nausea (2.88 vs 6.3 days per month). Perhaps most notably, only 2% of flexible patients stopped taking the drug by the study's end, compared to 19% of standard users. 'Slower, flexible titration improved adherence and reduced adverse events without compromising efficacy,' the study authors wrote. 'Extremely Severe' Obesity in American Kids Is Surging, Study Finds While some doctors have anecdotally reported similarly positive experiences in their patients who switched to a slower schedule, the study's results are limited: The sample size is quite small, for one, and more work in larger and more diverse groups will be needed to understand if different dosing schedules could help more people stay on their medication, without getting the pukes.
