Popular weight loss drugs linked to gastrointestinal problems, study warns
Popular new weight loss drugs — of the type including semaglutide (sold under the brand names Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy) and Liraglutide (Saxenda) — may cause stomach paralysis and other serious gastrointestinal problems.
This is the warning of a team of researchers in Canada who studied data on patients who had taken one of a class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists.
Originally developed to help manage type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 agonists work by increasing the levels of hormones known as “incretins” in the body.
These hormones help the body to produce more insulin only when it is required — and reduce the amount of glucose produced by the liver when such is not needed.
However, the new analysis suggests that the drugs may have previously unidentified, rare side effects, including pancreatitis — an inflammation of the pancreas — and bowel obstruction.
The study was undertaken by pharmaco-epidemiologist Mohit Sodhi of the University of British Columbia (UBC) and his colleagues.
Sodhi said: “Given the wide use of these drugs, these adverse effects — although rare — must be considered by patients thinking about using them for weight loss.
“The risk calculus will differ depending on whether a patient is using these drugs for diabetes, obesity, or just general weight loss.
“People who are otherwise healthy may be less willing to accept these potentially serious adverse events.”
While they have been used as an off-label weight loss tool for many years now, GLP-1 agonists were only officially approved as a treatment for obesity back in 2021.
Unfortunately, the clinical trials designed to evaluate their use for weight loss had small cohort sizes and short follow-up periods — meaning they were not really designed to be able to assess for rare gastrointestinal events as a potential side effect.
Studies of the use of the drugs in patients with diabetes, however, had highlighted some of these risks.
Paper co-author Dr Mahyar Etminan — an epidemiologist at UBC — added: “There have been anecdotal reports of some patients using these drugs for weight loss and then presenting with repeated episodes of nausea and vomiting secondary to a condition known as gastroparesis.”
Also referred to as “delayed gastric emptying”, gastroparesis is a disorder which slows or completely stops the movement of food from the stomach to the small intestine.
Etminan continued: “But until now, there hasn’t been any data from large epidemiologic studies.”
DON’T MISS: ‘Waste of time!’ Carbon offsetting is harming nature, according to scientists[REPORT]
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
In their study, the researchers analyzed health insurance claim records for some 16 million US adults, focusing on people prescribed either liraglutide or semaglutide — two main GLP-1 agonists — in the period from 2006–2020.
The subjects included patients with a recent history of obesity, and excluded those with diabetes or who had been prescribed another anto-diabetic drug.
The team used the records to see how many patients went on to develop one of four gastrointestinal conditions — comparing this incidence rate to the same among patients using bupropion-naltrexone, another weight loss drug.
Analysis indicated that users of GLP-1 agonists had a 9.09 times high risk of pancreatitis, a 4.22 times greater risk of bowel obstruction, and a 3.67 times increased risk of gastroparesis.
The team also found a slight — but not statistically significant — increase in the incidence of biliary disease, a group of conditions which affect the gall bladder.
While these conditions are rare, the team noted, with millions around the world using GLP-1 agonists, thousands of people could still experience these side-effects each year.
Sodhi said: “These drugs are becoming increasingly accessible, and it is concerning that — in some cases — people can simply go online and order these kinds of medications when they may not have a full understanding of what could potentially happen.”
He added: “This goes directly against the mantra of informed consent.”
The researchers hope that drug agencies and regulatory agencies will update the warning labels on these medications to include gastroparesis as a potential side effect.
Sodhi concluded: “This is critical information for patients to know so they can seek timely medical attention and avoid serious consequences.”
Daily Express US has reached out to Novo Nordisk — the manufacturer of Ozempic, Rybelsus, Saxenda and Wegovy — for comment.
The full findings of the study were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Follow our social media accounts on https://www.facebook.com/ExpressUSNews and @ExpressUSNews
Source: Read Full Article