How effective are new weight loss drugs?

Various specialists point out the effectiveness of new drugs that allow overweight or obese people to lose up to 20% of their weight and according to a publication by Harvard Medical Schoolconsulted by the Obesity Data Laboratory (LabDO), notable: semaglutide (Wegs), liraglutida (Saxenda) and tirzepatide (Zepbound).

These drugs, which mimic a hormones (glucagon-like peptide 1) that helps the body slow down stomach emptying, control blood sugar levels and suppress appetite – experts say – also improve the ability to make exercise and therefore the quality of life.

“They can even affect the reward center of the brain, the part that allows you to eat chocolate cake even when you’re full, which can also decrease addictive behaviors like cravings for alcohol, sugar and nicotine,” says Dr. Carolina Apovian, a specialist at the Center for Weight Control and Wellness at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

They have shown that they can significantly reduce the risk of deathfor heart-related causes in people with overweight or obesity, as well as with heart disease (or heart disease and diabetesdepending on the medication).

Regarding how these drugs are taken, it should be noted that Most come in the form of injections which are applied daily or weekly. They are introduced into an injector that is pressed against the abdomen or thigh. So far, the drugs are approved for the Weight loss only in people diagnosed with obesity (Body Mass Index of 30 or more) or an upper range of overweight (BMI of 27 to 29.9), as well as a medical problem related to excess weight, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

In March of this year, in USAit was announced that its government health insurance program, Medicarewill cover this new class of anti-obesity drugs – including Wegovy and Ozempic (semaglutide) – for patients with risk of stroke or heart attack. (2)

The list price of Wegsfor example, is around 16 thousand 200 dollars for a one year supply. These costs are so high highfor many people, have led to discussion in that country about the long-term benefits and justification to pay for that expense with taxpayers’ money.

Likewise, access to this type of approved drugs by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires the supervision of a medical professional.

In Mexicothe Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) warned about the risk of self-medication. “The consumption of semaglutide and liraglutide without medical supervision can cause damage renal, constipation, dizziness, tachycardia, infections y headache”.

For its part, the FDA and the Drug Information Center of the University of Cordoba, Spainhave released pharmacovigilance reports in which it is reported that some patients who were given GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs (drugs for the diabetes and weight loss) “developed suicidal thoughts and self-harming behaviors.”

Before the controversy that have caused these new drugs To control overweight and obesity, they continue to be carried out Intense studies and recommendations on who should use them and how are expected to change in the coming years. It is very likely that new groups of people will be identified who could benefit from them or, on the contrary, people who could be at greater risk of suffering side effects due to its use.

It should be noted that according to the World Health Organization (OMS), the obesity It is a chronic disease which negatively impacts the life of the person who suffers from it, and which can cause resistance to insulin, hypertension y dyslipidemiawhile it is associated with complications such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

AIHC