Semaglutide. What is it, and how can it help you?

Semaglutide is a medication that can be used to treat and help with weight management. It is classified as a GLP1-agonist. It comes in either a shot or a pill form. It's the first drug to be approved by the FDA for weight management since 2014. Semaglutide works by balancing hormones in your body, like insulin, which helps with blood sugar control. This can make you feel less hungry and help you lose weight. You can take semaglutide as a shot or a pill once a week. Studies have shown that it may also help with other health problems like heart disease and sleep apnea. Some people may experience mild side effects like diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or constipation when taking semaglutide, but these usually go away after a while.

What Do Studies Show About Semaglutide?

Novo Nordisk conducted a study, called STEP, to see if semaglutide is safe and effective for weight loss. The study included about 5,000 people with a mean age of 46.2 to 55.3 years and a mean BMI of 35.7 to 38.5. Most of the participants were women and had a history of at least one failed weight loss attempt. The study had five different groups that received either semaglutide or a placebo and followed different treatment plans. The results showed that people who took semaglutide lost more weight and improved their health compared to those who took the placebo. Heres how it was broken down:

• This study had 1,961 obese or overweight adults without type 2 diabetes received semaglutide or placebo for weight loss assessment. A portion of the group had body composition assessed to determine if weight loss was due to fat loss from the treatment.

• 1,210 obese or overweight adults with type 2 diabetes received semaglutide (2.4 mg or 1.1 mg dosage) or placebo to compare weight loss results.

• 611 overweight or obese adults without type 2 diabetes received semaglutide (2.4 mg dosage) or placebo with treatment options following intensive behavioral therapy programs, including an eight-week low-calorie diet followed by 60 weeks of increased physical activity and a hypocaloric diet.

• 902 overweight or obese adults without type 2 diabetes received 2.4 mg semaglutide per week. Of those, 750 who completed the 20-week introductory period were randomly assigned to continue receiving the same dosage or switch to a placebo for an additional 48 weeks, with withdrawal assistance to assess any change in weight due to switching from semaglutide to placebo.

• 304 overweight or obese adults without type 2 diabetes received 2.4 mg semaglutide or placebo for two years to assess weight loss.

In addition to either the semaglutide or placebo, participants received lifestyle intervention except for those who were part of the STEP 3 group. Those who had the lifestyle intervention had a reduction of 500 calories per day as well as received a recommended 150 minutes a week of exercise.

The results from the group are as followed:

• Those taking semaglutide saw a 14.9% reduction in body weight over 68 weeks, compared to a 2.4% reduction for those taking the placebo.

• Those taking the 2.4 mg dosage of semaglutide had a 9.6% reduction in body weight over 68 weeks, while those taking the 1.0 mg dosage had a 7.0% reduction. Participants taking the placebo had a 3.4% reduction.

• Those taking the 2.4 mg dosage of semaglutide and participating in an intensive behavioral therapy program saw a 17.6% reduction in body weight over 68 weeks, compared to a 5.0% reduction for those taking the placebo and participating in the same program.

• Those taking the 2.4 mg dosage of semaglutide saw a 10.6% reduction in body weight during the initial 20 weeks. Those who continued taking the same dosage for an additional 48 weeks had a 7.9% reduction in body weight, while those who switched to the placebo at 20 weeks saw a 6.9% increase in body weight.

• Those taking the 2.4 mg dosage of semaglutide over the two-year trial period achieved a 15.2% reduction in body weight, compared to a 2.6% reduction for those taking the placebo.

According to the results of the clinical trials, semaglutide has been found to be effective in managing weight loss for both individuals with and without type 2 diabetes. On average, those taking semaglutide lost almost 15% of their body weight, while those in the placebo group lost an average of 2.4%. Additionally, some patients saw improvements in their diabetes and pre-diabetes symptoms while taking the medication.