Upon realizing how type 2 diabetes medications could lead to significant weight loss, both Ozempic and Victoza became popular options to treat obesity.
From Type 2 Diabetes Drug to Anti-Obesity Medication
ABC News reports that these drugs are administered weekly or daily and are dubbed GLP-1 RAs. The medications boost insulin production and reduce blood sugar levels. They were first allowed in 2005 by the US Food and Drug Administration to be used to treat type 2 diabetes. Later on, however, they have also been observed to boost weight loss.
In 2014, the FDA allowed such drugs for long-term weight management. Since then, more drugs within the same class have gained approval to treat obesity.
Dr. Amanda Velazquez, director of obesity medicine at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, notes that obesity is a chronic condition that relapses. Dr. Velazquez also mentions that the medication's weight loss impacts disappear after the patient stops using the drugs.
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Wegovy: Weight Loss & Anti-Obesity Medication
Now, the company behind Victoza and Ozempic, Novo Nordisk, also developed a drug specifically designed for weight loss. This is Wegovy. Last December, the firm noted how some healthcare specialists had prescribed Ozempic to those who aim to shed some weight; the discretion of choosing the best treatment method is up to the healthcare provider.
Wxyz Detroit reports that Wegovy mimics a particular hormone that reduces appetite. Trials also revealed that the medication could lower body mass by roughly 15%. Given this, it is not surprising that Wegovy and the diabetic drug Ozempic experienced intermittent shortages during the fall.
What people do not realize about this treatment, however, is that it comes with side effects, including pain at the site of the injection, pancreatic inflammation, and nausea. It is also necessary to test electrolytes, diabetes, liver, cholesterol, and kidney every three to four months.
On top of this, a recent study has discovered a concerning link between such drugs and thyroid cancer.
Weight Loss Medications Significantly Linked to Thyroid Cancer Development
According to a recent Diabetes Care study by the University of Montpellier, long-term usage of drugs is significantly linked to a heightened likelihood of developing thyroid cancer. More specifically, the researchers discovered that patients with type 2 diabetes who ingested these drugs for one to three years had a 58% higher risk of getting thyroid cancer. The study also noted that the risk of developing medullary thyroid cancer, which is a rare thyroid cancer, was particularly high.
Dr. Erik Alexander, Chief of the Thyroid Section within the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, notes how such findings provide interesting insight into the clinical discussion but are not independently sufficient to impose a new screening standard. He notes how such drugs should be utilized when the reward outweighs the risk. Clinicians and patients should regularly consider such an assessment.
According to ABC News, 45,000 Americans are dealing with thyroid cancer. However, such a diagnosis does not equate to a death sentence since, with proper therapy and even surgery, there is a 98% chance of 5-year survival. This, however, depends on the specific kind of thyroid cancer and the disease's stage.
ABC News also notes how Novo Nordisk also issued a statement stating that their longitudinal studies, real-life evidence, and randomized trials had not revealed any causal link between the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists and the development of thyroid cancer.
Assistant professor of medicine Dr. Heather Sateia notes how these thyroid cancer findings cause a pause of some sort. While there are no recommendations to undergo serum calcitonin monitoring or thyroid ultrasounds, they are keeping watch regarding possible recommendation chances. Dr. Sateia notes suspicions regarding these possible shifts.
General surgery assistant professor Dr. Yufei Chen also notes that, while this may not alter prescriptions, it requires awareness.
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