That’s not surprising, says John Wilding, an obesity researcher at the University of Liverpool. led a large-scale study For the use of semaglutide to treat overweight or obese adults. “Clinical trials tell us about the biology of whether a drug works or not, and that’s how the trial is designed, so it’s a very highly controlled situation,” he said. say. Clinical trials typically do not require payment for drugs and are supported by regular check-ins by research staff.
In the real world, there are many reasons why people stop using drugs. One survey of diabetics asked diabetics and their doctors why they stopped taking their diabetes. GLP-1 RA. Patients who stopped taking the drug cited side effects such as nausea and diarrhea, disliked having to inject themselves on a regular basis, and disappointment that the injections did not help them lose weight or control their blood sugar. . Nearly half of patients who discontinue GLP-1 RA in the United States cite high cost as a reason. We know that some patients in the US have high co-payments for their insurance. less likely to stick along with diabetes medication. “These drugs are very expensive, especially the weekly ones,” said William Polonski, director of the California Institute of Behavioral Diabetes. His monthly list price on Wegovy is almost $1,350, but some insurers will cover at least part of that high cost.
If these patterns apply to drugs used for weight loss, it’s still a big “assumption” at this point, but I wouldn’t expect everyone who starts taking Wegovy or similar drugs to stay on that drug forever. It might be better. The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, which determines which medicines are available through the National Health Service (NHS), recommends capping a patient’s treatment duration at two years. Wegovy can be prescribed for weight loss. After some weight loss, some people may stop taking their medications and instead look to diet and exercise to manage their health, Wilding said.
We already know that most of the weight lost is regained when semaglutide is stopped. during treatment. This raises important questions. If I regain the weight I lost, will I be healthier in the long run than someone who never lost it in the first place?
As for semaglutide, the short answer is “I don’t know.” However, there are some interesting data suggesting that dietary interventions may have long-lasting effects after discontinuation. In 1986, about 440 people with prediabetes in Daqing, China, were assigned to a trial that encouraged them to eat healthier, exercise, or a combination of the two. 6 years. The control group was asked to continue their normal lifestyle. Thirty years later, when scientists re-examined the people who participated in the study, they found that people in the diet and exercise group developed diabetes later and had less cardiovascular disease than people in the control group. found.
