Semaglutide is well known for its weight loss effects.
Innovative injectable drugs marketed as Ozempic and Wegovyhas been proven to help you lose to second place.
But the slimming jab also has some surprising benefits, as MailOnline explains…
suppress cravings for alcohol
Ozempic can not only cause an aversion to food, but also significantly reduce the desire to drink alcohol.
There is growing interest in the potential of semaglutide to reduce drug craving and alcohol intake.
Ozempic works by mimicking GLP-1, a natural hormone that tells the brain that you’re full. Some experts believe that this internal process that suppresses the desire to eat may also dampen other desires.
Research on rodents supports this theory.
A team of researchers affiliated with the National Institutes of Health, study In 2023, semaglutide was discovered to deter drinking in rodents.
There is also some evidence in humans that semaglutide specifically reduces symptoms of alcohol use disorder.
Published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. case series Last year, we outlined interesting outcomes for six patients who received semaglutide during weight loss treatment.
However, researchers from the University of Oklahoma College of Community Medicine and Oklahoma State University Health Sciences Center also found that alcohol consumption decreased.
On follow-up, six patients showed “low-risk” drinking, indicating that they no longer had a drinking problem.
However, the study authors emphasized that further research is needed.
Reduces risk of heart attack and stroke
Researchers say the slimmer jab may also reduce the risk of heart attacks.
Maintaining a healthy weight can reduce your risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases such as stroke and vascular dementia.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) warns that this is because being overweight can cause fatty substances to build up in your arteries.
If the arteries that carry blood to the heart become damaged and clogged, it can cause a heart attack. According to the BHF, when this happens in the arteries that carry blood to the brain, it can cause a stroke.
So it’s no surprise that semaglutide injections that help you lose weight may reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.
One study suggests that a 2.4 mg weekly injection of semaglutide, like Wigovy, may reduce the risk of “serious adverse cardiovascular events” by 20 percent.
This was announced by the company that developed the drug.
2023 study Novo Nordisk, which makes Wegovy, enrolled 17,604 adults over 45 who were overweight or obese, had cardiovascular disease, and no history of diabetes.
The researchers divided the participants into two groups, giving one group the Wegovy injection and the other a placebo.
Can be used to treat kidney failure
Novo Nordisk claims the skinny jab can treat more than just cardiovascular disease. The company also believes it could be useful in treating patients with kidney failure.
7.2 million Britons are affected by chronic kidney disease, and this figure is expected to rise by around 400,000 over the next decade, mainly due to rising numbers of people with high blood pressure and obesity.
But researchers argue that providing early treatment with semaglutide could be a game-changing solution.
Novo Nordisk announced in October that it was discontinuing research into whether the drug could effectively treat kidney failure patients with diabetes because it was confident it would be successful.
A Danish drug company was testing whether a diabetes drug could slow the progression of chronic kidney disease and reduce the risk of death from complications.
Another study published last year found that patients with type 2 diabetes who also had kidney disease had their symptoms stabilized after taking semaglutide.
A 2018 study in the US found that kidney disease patients taking another GLP-1 drug had a significant reduction in a protein called albumin in their urine. High amounts may indicate that your kidneys are not functioning properly.
May increase fertility
Many women who had previously battled infertility have claimed that they unexpectedly became pregnant while using the weight loss jab.
The phenomenon, known as ‘opzempic babies’, has led some US doctors to prescribe the jab off-label to treat polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), one of the leading causes of infertility in women. It’s arrived.
But experts say losing weight may help fertility in general.
Professor Adam Ballen, reproductive health consultant at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and past president of the British Fertility Society, said: ‘Many overweight women have reduced fertility and those with PCOS may stop ovulating. “There is,” he said.
“Losing weight improves your fertility and chances of ovulation.”
That’s because fat cells produce estrogen, which can have a negative impact on fertility, stopping regular menstruation and ovulation. This means that losing just a few pounds can lower your hormone levels.
Semaglutide also works by slowing stomach emptying, which may prevent oral contraceptives from being absorbed effectively into the body.
The jab can cause users to experience vomiting and diarrhea, which can reduce the effectiveness of contraceptives and also increase the chances of pregnancy.
GLP-1 antiobesity drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, are effective against cognitive impairment and may even prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Novo Nordisk is study How do these drugs affect cognitive function?
Clinical trials are evaluating the effects of semaglutide and placebo in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease.
However, this is not the first time researchers have studied the benefits of GLP-1 drugs for cognitive impairment.
1 2003 study A study published in Neuroscience Research found that GLP-1 can reduce amyloid protein accumulation in the brain.
The NHS explains that Alzheimer’s disease is thought to be caused by a buildup of these toxic proteins, which can form plaques around brain cells.
However, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, obesity may contribute to decreased cognitive function and increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting it may simply be the slimming effect that provides a benefit against the disease. are doing.
