Weight loss drugs side effects – A recent study has raised concerns about popular injected weight loss medications like Wegovy, Ozempic, Saxenda, and Victoza, linking them to a heightened risk of severe digestive issues, including stomach paralysis, pancreatitis, and bowel obstructions when compared to other weight loss medications.
Source: CNN
The research, while revealing that the risk of these adverse events on an individual basis remains relatively low, such as approximately 1% of Ozempic users being diagnosed with stomach paralysis, sounds an alarm due to the widespread use of these drugs. With tens of millions of people worldwide now relying on these medications, even a rare risk like this could potentially translate into hundreds of thousands of new cases.
Dr. Mahyar Etminan, an epidemiologist at the University of British Columbia and the lead author of the study, emphasized the significance of these findings, stating, “When you have millions of people using these drugs, you know, a 1% risk still translates to many people who may experience these events.”
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Weight loss drugs side effects-The study also underscores the severity of these problems, with bowel obstructions, for instance, being categorized as medical emergencies.
Interestingly, previous reporting on this issue had shed light on cases of stomach paralysis in individuals who had taken these medications. It also highlighted the absence of a specific warning about this side effect for patients.
The prescribing information for Wegovy and Saxenda does provide cautionary notes about a range of serious side effects, including pancreas inflammation, gallbladder problems, blocked intestines, kidney issues, severe allergic reactions, elevated heart rate, suicidal thoughts, and changes in vision, particularly for individuals with diabetes. Notably, a warning about ileus, or blocked intestines, has recently been added to the warning label for Ozempic.
Furthermore, the labels for these medications point out common side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and constipation. They also strongly advise individuals with a history of certain hereditary thyroid cancers to exercise caution when considering these medications.
While the study serves as a valuable contribution to understanding the potential risks associated with these popular weight loss drugs, individuals considering or currently using these medications should consult with their healthcare providers to weigh the benefits and risks on a case-by-case basis.
In a groundbreaking study recently published in JAMA, researchers from the University of British Columbia conducted an extensive analysis of over 16 million insurance claims, encompassing a prescription drug database that accounts for approximately 93% of outpatient prescriptions in the United States. These claims, spanning the period from 2006 to 2020, were meticulously scrutinized to shed light on the potential risks associated with two commonly prescribed injected drugs: semaglutide and liraglutide.
Semaglutide and liraglutide both belong to a class of medications known as GLP-1 agonists. They function by slowing down the passage of food through the stomach, making them valuable tools for managing blood sugar levels in individuals with diabetes. Additionally, they have demonstrated significant potential for weight loss, both for those with and without diabetes.
Notably, in 2021, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval for semaglutide to be used as a weight loss medication for individuals who are obese but do not have diabetes. When prescribed for diabetes, it goes by the name Ozempic, and when prescribed for weight loss, it is marketed as Wegovy. Liraglutide, on the other hand, received FDA approval as a weight loss medication as early as 2014. When prescribed for diabetes, it is known as Victoza, and for weight management, it is referred to as Saxenda. Interestingly, even before these drugs were officially approved for weight loss, healthcare providers had recognized their potential benefits and had begun prescribing them off-label to patients seeking to shed excess pounds.
Weight loss drugs side effects – To identify the subset of patients who were prescribed these medications for weight loss, researchers focused on individuals who had been diagnosed with obesity at least 90 days prior to commencing the medication. They excluded individuals who had concurrent diagnoses of diabetes or who were taking any other drugs to manage their blood sugar.
To assess the potential risks associated with these weight loss medications, the researchers compared the frequency of serious digestive problems in the aforementioned group to another group of individuals using a different type of weight loss medication called bupropion-naltrexone, available in pill form under the name Contrave.
This extensive analysis provides valuable insights into the safety and potential risks of these widely prescribed weight loss medications, helping both healthcare providers and patients make informed decisions about their use.
During the years under scrutiny, the research team made a concerning discovery: individuals taking Ozempic and Saxenda were significantly more prone to developing severe stomach and intestinal problems compared to those prescribed Contrave.
In terms of absolute numbers, the incidence of new cases of stomach paralysis in the Ozempic group stood at approximately 1%, while the Saxenda group had an incidence of about 0.7%. Conversely, the Contrave group had a lower incidence of roughly 0.3%. In relative terms, this implies that individuals taking the injected drugs were more than three times more likely to experience stomach paralysis when compared to those taking Contrave.
Bowel obstructions, another serious concern, were not reported in the Ozempic group. However, individuals taking Saxenda had an incidence of approximately 0.8%, whereas the Contrave group had a much lower incidence of about 0.17%. This implies that those on the injected medications were more than four times more likely to encounter bowel obstructions compared to Contrave users.
The risk of pancreatitis, a potentially life-threatening condition, was also significantly elevated among individuals taking Ozempic and Saxenda. The Ozempic group had a 0.5% incidence, while the Saxenda group faced an even higher risk of 0.8%. In stark contrast, the Contrave group had a minimal incidence of approximately 0.01%, representing a more than ninefold increase in the risk of pancreatitis for those taking the injected medications.
Weight loss drugs side effects – The researchers also examined the risk of patients being diagnosed with biliary disease, which encompasses various issues affecting the gallbladder and bile ducts. However, they found no significant differences between the groups.
In the subgroup of approximately 600 patients taking Ozempic, there were four cases of gastroparesis or stomach paralysis, two cases of pancreatitis, no instances of bowel obstructions, and five individuals who developed biliary disease.
For the group of roughly 4,400 individuals taking Saxenda, the numbers were more concerning: 66 cases of stomach paralysis, 73 cases of bowel obstructions, 71 instances of pancreatitis, and 162 cases of biliary disease.
In sharp contrast, the group of approximately 650 individuals taking Contrave had considerably fewer reported issues: three cases of stomach paralysis, two instances of bowel obstructions, one case of pancreatitis, and 16 cases of biliary disease.
These findings highlight the alarming disparities in the risks associated with these different weight loss medications and emphasize the importance of informed decision-making in consultation with healthcare providers when considering their use.
It’s important to note that this study has its limitations. Being an observational study, it can only establish associations between the use of certain medications and the conditions people were diagnosed with, but it cannot definitively prove that the drugs caused these conditions.
To mitigate potential biases in their results, the researchers took several steps. For instance, they excluded individuals with diabetes from the study since these individuals already have an increased risk of gastroparesis, pancreatitis, and biliary disease. By doing so, they aimed to isolate the potential link between the drugs and these adverse events.
However, one significant challenge was identifying individuals who might have been using these medications for weight loss since this information was not always documented in their medical records. Therefore, it’s challenging to ascertain with certainty why individuals were taking these medications.
Weight loss drugs side effects – This study marks the first time researchers have quantified the risks associated with these weight loss medications, which were previously reported anecdotally by doctors and patients who had experienced them.
Experts who were not involved in the study acknowledged its merits but also noted its limitations. Dr. Ian Musgrave, a molecular pharmacologist at the University of Adelaide in Australia, pointed out that while GLP-1 agonists are generally well-tolerated, there is a low incidence of serious side effects associated with them. For example, pancreatitis is a known side effect in patients with type-2 diabetes, but it’s less clear whether patients using these drugs for weight loss may face similar serious side effects.
Musgrave also highlighted that the study had more patients using the injected drugs than Contrave, which could influence the findings. Additionally, the study controlled for various factors like age, sex, alcohol use, smoking, and high cholesterol but did not compare the effect of body mass index (BMI).
Nevertheless, the study’s findings represent a valuable contribution to both healthcare providers who prescribe these drugs and patients considering their use.
Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic and Saxenda, reaffirmed its commitment to the safety and efficacy of its GLP-1 medications when used in accordance with product labeling and approved indications. They also emphasized the importance of patients taking these medications under the supervision of a healthcare professional and making treatment decisions based on individual medical profiles.
The researchers point out that these digestive problems likely didn’t surface during the clinical trials that led to the approval of these drugs. The primary reason is that these trials often weren’t large enough to capture rare adverse events like those identified in this study. Additionally, when such events did occur, they might have been recorded merely as symptoms without delving into their underlying causes.
For instance, gastroparesis primarily manifests as symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. In clinical trials, participants experiencing these symptoms might have reported them, but the true cause might not have been thoroughly investigated.
One of the study’s authors, Mohit Sodhi, shared that his motivation to conduct this research stemmed from a real-world patient case. He encountered a man in the emergency department who was suffering from severe vomiting—up to 15 to 20 times a day. Despite extensive examinations, doctors were initially unable to determine the cause. However, upon noticing that the patient was taking Ozempic, they decided to treat him with medication designed to address stomach paralysis. Remarkably, the patient’s condition improved significantly.
Sodhi explained, “It’s entirely possible that he had this type of adverse event.”
The researchers now hope that both regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical companies will consider updating the warning labels for these medications. Presently, these labels do not include the risk of gastroparesis, a condition that the study has identified as a potential concern. Raising awareness of these risks is essential to ensure that healthcare providers and patients can make well-informed decisions when considering the use of these medications.
“This is critical information for patients to know so they can seek timely medical attention and avoid serious consequences,” emphasized Mohit Sodhi, one of the study’s authors.
Weight loss drugs side effects – The researchers aspire to empower individuals to make more informed decisions regarding the use of these medications. As Sodhi pointed out, individuals with diabetes who use these drugs to manage their condition might be more willing to accept the rare risks associated with adverse events in exchange for better blood sugar control. However, for otherwise healthy individuals who are considering these medications primarily for weight loss, having a clearer understanding of the potential risks could significantly influence their choices.
It’s essential to recognize that obesity itself poses significant health risks, as emphasized by Dr. Simon Cork, a senior lecturer in physiology at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK. While not directly involved in the study and with no conflicts of interest related to the drugs, Cork stressed the considerable health risks associated with obesity, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, gallbladder disease, and stroke. These risks decrease significantly with substantial and sustained weight loss.
Cork’s perspective underscores that, for the majority of patients for whom these drugs are intended—those grappling with severe obesity—the benefits of weight loss outweigh the potential risks. The study findings should serve as a valuable tool for healthcare providers and patients to engage in informed discussions about the risks and benefits of these medications, taking into account individual health conditions and goals.
