An approved diabetes drug has now helped diabetes patients lose an average of 10 percent of their body weight, UT Southwestern reports in an international study famous.
Semaglutide, an injectable medication taken once a week, offers a non-surgical way to reduce weight and treat obesity. It could help more than 70 million adults in the United States who are struggling with this debilitating condition, says Ildiko Lingvay, MD, MPH, MSCS, professor of internal medicine and sciences population and data at UTSW and the lead author of the study, published today in the Lancet.
People with diabetes benefit greatly from losing weight, but still have a much harder time losing weight compared to those without diabetes. sugar, Lingvay says. This study is the first to evaluate the weight loss effect of this medication only in patients with Type 2 diabetes.
This multi-center survey was conducted at 149 sites in 12 countries across North America, Europe, South America, the Middle East, South Africa and Asia from June 2018 to June 2020. this is one of the studies conducted as part of the Semaglutide for People (STEP) treatment effect with an obesity program. “In the four clinical trials completed to date, people treated with this medication have lost on average 10 to 17 percent of their body weight, which is a big step forward by comparison. like all other drugs currently available to treat obesity, “says Lingvay. “With this drug, results are getting closer to what we see with bariatric surgery, which is 20 to 30 percent weight loss.”
Medications from this class of drugs have been used for over a decade to treat people with diabetes. Semaglutide is currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration to reduce blood sugar in people with diabetes at a dose of 0.5 mg or 1 mg once a week. The FDA is evaluating the use of a higher weekly 2.4 mg dose for breast weight management.
STEP 2 study, a phase 3 randomized, double-blind, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial reported The Lancet, including more than 1,200 adults with Type 2 diabetes who were obese or obese at the time. Over 68 weeks, they administered semaglutide or placebo once a week. Body mass index (BMI) over 30, or BMI over 27 along with other comorbidities, was required to participate.
“In this study, more than a quarter of participants lost more than 15 percent of their body weight, which is the best result we obtained with weight loss medication in diabetic patients , “she says.
Other STEP tests that examined a weekly dose of 2.4 mg semaglutide in obese adults without diabetes reported an even greater weight loss of 15 to 16 percent body weight.
The drug works by eliminating desire centers in the brain to reduce caloric deprivation, Lingvay adds.
“The medication always tells the body that you were just eating, you are full,” she says.
Participants took the subcutaneous injection with a pre-filled pen and a tiny needle once a week. They also met with a registered dietitian to help them follow a lower calorie meal plan.
The average weight loss among participants treated with semaglutide 2.4 mg was 21.4 pounds, compared with 7.7 pounds in the placebo group. Approximately 69 percent of participants treated with 2.4 mg semaglutide lost 5 percent or more of their body weight, which may improve comorbidities such as high blood pressure. Half of those taking semaglutide 2.4 mg achieved weight loss of 10 percent or more, and 25 percent achieved weight loss of 15 percent or more.
For someone with diabetes, losing weight can be especially challenging.
“People with diabetes lose far less weight than their peers without diabetes,” Lingvay says. “For people with diabetes, 10 percent weight loss is a remarkable achievement.”
The drug is recommended for lifelong use and is not intended to be discontinued once weight loss is achieved, she said.
“Obesity is a harmful health condition,” Lingvay says. “It’s not something you treat like the flu.”
Side effects, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, were relatively mild, and very few patients stopped taking the medication because of them.
The study was funded by Novo Nordisk, who designed and led the experiment. Lingvay has received research funding, consultancy / consultancy fees and / or other support from Novo Nordisk, and its other publications can be found in the manuscript.
About UT Southwestern Medical Center
UT Southwestern, one of the leading academic medical centers in the country, offers advanced biomedical research with specialized clinical care and education. The institute’s faculty has received six Nobel Prizes, and there are 23 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 17 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 13 Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers. The full-time faculty of more than 2,500 relies on advanced medical advances and is committed to rapidly translating science-led research into new clinical therapies. UT Southwestern physicians provide care in approximately 80 specialties to more than 105,000 hospital patients, nearly 370,000 emergency room cases, and monitor approximately 3 million outpatient visits each year.