Feb 12, 2021 12:10:00

Drugs found that reduce the weight of obese people by an average of about 15%

Obesity can lead to a variety of lifestyle-related diseases and has been shown

to increase the risk of coronavirus infection (COVID-19) . A study of obese people living in 16 countries around the world has already reported that a drug called semaglutide, which is used to treat type 2 diabetes , significantly reduces weight.

Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity | NEJM
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183

'Gamechanger' drug for treating obesity cuts body weight by 20 percent --ScienceDaily
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210211091352.htm

'Game-Changer' Drug Promotes Weight Loss Like No Medicine Ever Seen, Scientists Say
https://www.sciencealert.com/game-changer-drug-promotes-weight-loss-like-no-medicine-ever-seen-scientists-say

Treatment of obesity requires continuous exercise and dietary interventions, but it is not always very effective. There is also a method of removing fat by surgery, but this is an invasive method and therefore poses a heavy burden and risk to the body.

Therefore, a research team in the United Kingdom conducted an experiment on 1961 obese adults living in 16 countries in Asia, Europe, and the Americas to investigate the weight loss effect of semaglutide, which is used as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. I did it. Those who were found to be obese in this experiment were all people with a body mass index (BMI) of over 30. In addition, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare in BMI22 is standard, and obesity more than 25 have been established .

Subjects were divided into an experimental group taking semaglutide and a control group taking placebo , and the experimental group received 2.4 mg of semaglutide by subcutaneous injection once a week. In addition, all subjects, including the control group, had face-to-face or telephone counseling sessions with registered dietitians every four weeks to provide guidance and motivation for low-calorie diets and exercise.

As a result of 68 weeks of experimentation, an average weight loss of 15.3 kg, or 14.9%, was achieved in the experimental group receiving semaglutide. Although weight loss was reported in the control group, the average loss was only 2.6 kg.

In the experimental group, the rate of successful weight loss was overwhelmingly higher than in the control group, and the number of subjects who recorded weight loss of 5% or more was 86.4% in the experimental group, compared with 31.5% in the control group. The research team said that the number of subjects who succeeded in weight loss of 20% or more reached 30% or more in the experimental group, which was close to the effect of surgical intervention. In addition, it has been reported that in the experimental group, not only body weight but also blood fat, blood sugar, and blood pressure, which are risk factors for heart disease and diabetes, decreased, and the quality of life improved.

Professor Rachel Batterham, a professor of obesity at University College London, said, 'There is no other drug that can help you lose weight like this. This is truly groundbreaking. People are the first to undergo weight loss surgery. What was only possible can now be achieved with medicine. ' 'This is an important advance in the treatment of obesity. Semaglutide has already been approved and is used clinically in low doses for the treatment of diabetes,' said John Wilding, a professor at the University of Liverpool, the lead author of the treatise. '.

Semaglutide has a compound similar to the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) released from the intestine after meals, which reduces hunger, increases satiety, and reduces calorie intake by reducing the amount of food. Is supposed to be reduced. In this experiment, symptoms such as nausea and diarrhea appeared in both the experimental group and the control group, and 5 subjects in the control group and 60 subjects in the experimental group discontinued treatment halfway. In addition, it is not known at the time of writing the article what will happen to the subject's weight after finishing the administration of semaglutide, and some subjects claim that they gained weight again after the treatment.

Professor Emeritus Thomas Sanders of King's College London said, 'Drugs like semaglutide may help to lose weight rapidly in patients with severe obesity in the short term, but less severe obesity. It's not a silver bullet to prevent or treat. We still need public health measures to encourage behavioral changes, such as regular exercise and restrictions on dietary calorie intake. '

Novo Nordisk , a Danish pharmaceutical company that funded the study, has already applied to international health regulators for permission to sell semaglutide as an obesity treatment.