Weight Loss and Diabetes With Semaglutide

In a study, researchers found that people with type 2 diabetes who took Semaglutide experienced significant weight loss and reduced their blood sugar levels. However, the weight loss may come with a price: The medication can cause a decrease in lean mass, which is made up of muscles and water. This can lower basal metabolic rate, which means your body burns less energy while at rest, and can lead to slower weight loss over time.

Semaglutide is the first in a new class of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists that mimic the gut hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). The drug is administered via an injection under the skin once a week and works by helping you feel full after eating a small amount of food. It has been available in the United States since 2023 under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy. It is prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes who have not managed to control their blood sugar through diet and exercise alone Diamond Glow.

STEP 1 (NCT03548935) randomized 1961 adults with a BMI >= 30 kg/m2 and = 27 kg/m2 with at least one weight-related co-morbidity without diabetes to 68 weeks of once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg (including 16 weeks of dose escalation) or placebo in addition to lifestyle intervention. At the end of 68 weeks, treatments were discontinued and an off-treatment extension was initiated to assess for a year a representative subset of participants who completed the 68-week main phase of the study. This off-treatment extension addressed two exploratory end points and other secondary and supportive analyses.

The primary results from this study, which were presented at the virtual ADA 81st Scientific Sessions, showed that the higher dose of semaglutide was associated with greater weight loss than placebo in both men and women, and with an improvement in multiple cardiometabolic risk markers. A post-hoc analysis also suggested that the benefits of the higher dose were greater in women than in men, and that those with more severe obesity had greater benefits.

While these positive findings are promising, researchers caution that additional studies are needed to determine the long-term efficacy of this drug in different populations and for other uses. They also note that the benefits they saw are not a guarantee of success in real-world settings, where people with more severe obesity may face obstacles such as adherence or cost.

Other studies are underway to see if the drug is effective in other population groups, including those with PCOS. Cree is planning a new, larger PCOS trial to examine whether the drug improves hormone and metabolic outcomes in women with the condition, independent of its effects on weight. The new trial will include more women with PCOS and measure ovulation rates to find out if the drug increases ovulation in this group.

Before you start taking Semaglutide, talk to your doctor about your medical history. You should not take the medication if you have multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2, which is a tumor in one or more of your glands, or have had medullary thyroid cancer. You should not use the medication if you have ever had a psychiatric disorder that affects your thinking or behavior, such as depression or bipolar disorder.