Individuals using Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight are at risk of developing serious health complications if they stop taking the drugs, latest evidence has shown.
Researchers have found that people who quit using weight loss drugs end up having poorer markers of health, such as higher blood pressure and cholesterol.
The active ingredient of Ozempic and Wegovy is semaglutide. Once people stop taking this drug, they are likely to regain two-thirds of the weight they have lost.
Weight loss is triggered by Ozempic and Wegovy because they both mimic the actions of GLP-1 – a hormone that makes you feel full.
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More than 10% of adults living in the US have used a weight loss drug, new data has demonstrated.
Roughly 71% of individuals on Ozempic stop using the drug after one year due to them achieving their goal weight or because it is too expensive to carry on, with most people spending $1,000 a month on the jabs.
As well as treating type 2 diabetes and obesity, recent studies have shown that semaglutide can reduce blood pressure.
Researchers from Northwestern University have now revealed that GLP-1 RAs can increase an individual’s cardiovascular risk if they stop using the drugs, suggesting that they might need to use the jabs long-term to maintain the benefits.
The authors said: “Nearly 30% of individuals discontinued semaglutide in the SELECT trial, with real-world estimates for GLP-1 RA discontinuation in the range of 50% to 75% at 12 months.
“It is essential that clinicians and health systems identify and implement strategies that couple equitable initiation strategies with personalised support for the persistence of GLP-1 RAs.”
They added: “This requires understanding the underlying reasons for [GLP-1 receptor agonists] discontinuation.”
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Dr Domenica Rubino, Director of the Washington Centre for Weight Management and Research, said: “Obesity is not like an infection where you take antibiotics and you’re done.
“It’s not any different than hypertension or diabetes or the many other chronic illnesses that we deal with, where you have to use chronic medication.”
People who have stopped using Ozempic or Wegovy have experienced serious side effects, such as suicidal thoughts, stomach paralysis and severe nausea and vomiting.
The authors noted: “GLP-1 RA uptake is likely to continue to rapidly increase in the US as coverage indications expand. But the staggering high discontinuation rates of GLP-1 RAs should raise alarms for clinicians, policy makes and public health experts.”
The study has been published in JAMA.
