Popular celebrity weight loss drugs Vegovi and Ozampic may have serious side effects, according to researchers in China.
In a study set to appear in the monthly journal Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica bResearchers believe there is an “increased risk” of bowel obstruction when they take the drugs.
The drugs are made from the peptide semaglutide, which is a derivative of GLP-1, a hormone secreted from the small intestine.
This is the hormone that semaglutide mimics, and it slows down digestion to make you feel fuller longer, leading to weight loss.
Although the drug may be helpful in treating diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes by lowering a person’s glucose levels and promoting weight loss, concerns have been raised about potential unwanted side effects.
The researchers wrote about the drug, “Although their efficacy and safety profiles are widely accepted, long-term adverse events such as an increased risk of intestinal obstruction have been reported in diabetic patients, which are more 4.5 times higher than those receiving glucose control drugs.” .
The researchers also noted, “A real-world study of 25,617 subjects showed a 3.5-fold increase in the rate of bowel obstruction associated with GLP-1RA treatment.”
The Post contacted the drug’s maker, Novo Nordisk, for comment.
The scholars also cited two studies in their research that show a link between GLP-1 and bowel issues — one published in In 2020, someone else In 2022.
However, they were observational in nature and could not confirm a direct correlation.
Bowel obstruction occurs when there is an obstruction that prevents food or fluid from moving into your small or large intestine, according to Mayo Clinic.
If left untreated, it can cause the parts of the intestine that were blocked to die, and this can lead to an infection called peritonitis.
According to the organization, the infection is classified as a life-threatening condition that often requires surgery.
In their letter, they reported that in their observations of mice that received the drug, they had an average 43% increase in the length of the small intestine after 3 months of treatment with the GLP-1b drug, indicating that Vegovi Clinical trials only tested it for 16 months.
They also note that clinical trials in humans have not shown the same changes in our intestines.
The researchers explained that it can be difficult to determine the length of the small intestine in adults and that constipation, a symptom of intestinal obstruction, is also the same symptom as slow digestion, an effect of the drug.
However, independent experts who were not involved in the research told the Daily Mail that “medicine should be safe for most” and maintained that before doctors prescribe medicine to their patients, they should look at the person’s bowel history.
The popular drug is given by injection once a week, which patients can administer themselves. The maximum dose for Vegovi is 2.4 mg.
In recent months, the weight-loss drug has been taking over Hollywood, as many stars have admitted to taking it at one point or another, including comedian Chelsea Handler, who claimed that she “didn’t know” She was taking Ozempic.
He alleged that his doctor “hands it” to anyone.
“I came back from vacation and I injected myself with it. I went to lunch with a girlfriend a few days later, and she was like, ‘I’m not really eating anything. I’m so nauseous, I’m on Ozampic,'” He remembered During the January 25 appearance at “Call her daddy” The podcast.
“And I was like, ‘I get nauseous too.’ But I had just returned from Spain and was jet-lagged,” she added.
Twitter owner Elon Musk also admitted to using Wegovi last fall.
