Kind 2 diabetes is among the commonest and well-studied trendy ailments. So, new medicines to fight this situation are consistently being developed.
One such kind of medicine is named a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonist. These meds have develop into more and more well-liked just lately as a result of although GLP-1 receptor agonists had been initially developed to deal with kind 2 diabetes, they started to point out a really promising profit: vital weight reduction.
In the event you suppose you’re a candidate for one among these medicines, learn on to be taught every little thing it is advisable find out about GLP-1 agonists for weight reduction, how they work, who ought to take them, their unwanted effects, and extra.
What Are GLP-1 Agonists?
Hormones are your physique’s pure messengers. They carry necessary messages to completely different organs to maintain your physique functioning usually. Each insulin and GLP-1 peptide are naturally occurring hormones.
The meals you eat will get damaged down into easy sugars (like glucose) in your abdomen.
This sugar then enters the bloodstream and travels all through the physique. Insulin directs the sugar out of your blood into your cells for use as vitality.
However when insulin can’t do its job nicely anymore, the sugar stays within the blood, and also you develop type 2 diabetes.
Because of this folks with diabetes have higher-than-normal blood sugar ranges. It’s additionally why most diabetes medicines (together with GLP-1 agonists) are focused in direction of blood sugar management.
However like all good planners, your physique all the time has a backup. When insulin begins slacking off (prefer it does in people with diabetes), your physique sends out the GLP-1 hormone to select up the slack.
When scientists found this sensible transfer, they got here up with a technique to mimic the physique’s actions. Thus, GLP-1 agonists had been developed.
An agonist is any manufactured substance (like a drug or medicine) that copies or boosts the actions of a naturally occurring substance (on this case, GLP-1) by stimulating its receptor.
How Does GLP-1 Work?
GLP-1 is often produced within the small gut. It has a four-fold messenger action:
- It tells the pancreas to extend insulin secretion to handle your blood sugar ranges correctly.
- It additionally tells the pancreas to not launch hormones like glucagon, which might transfer glucose from different storage locations (just like the liver) into the bloodstream.
- It tells your abdomen to digest the meals slowly in order that extra sugars don’t get added to the bloodstream earlier than insulin can clear them out.
- It tells your mind that you simply’re full and never hungry in any respect — aka, it decreases starvation and will increase satiety. This prevents overeating and retains you from taking in additional meals earlier than the earlier meal is absolutely digested.
This remaining motion has caught the attention of most people and has pushed GLP-1 agonists—essentially the most well-known being semaglutide—into the limelight, even amongst folks with out diabetes.
GLP-1 agonists can lower your urge for food and maintain you feeling full on a regular basis. They could show you how to drop some pounds, particularly in the event you discover portion management difficult.
Does this imply anybody can take GLP-1 medication to drop some pounds? Let’s discover the professionals and cons of taking these medicines for weight reduction results.
6 Key Concerns of GLP-1 Medication
GLP-1 agonists had been first permitted to be used as kind 2 diabetes medicine by the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2005. These medication are often accessible in a liquid type, together with a needle and syringe.
It’s essential inject them into the fatty tissue beneath your pores and skin. The commonest injection website is the stomach, adopted by the outer thighs, higher buttocks, and the backs of your arms.
These medication are often beneficial solely after safer and extra standard strategies like eating regimen and train have failed to provide the specified outcomes.
Even then, GLP-1 agonists aren’t miracle medication and might’t work alone. They have to be accompanied by dietary and way of life adjustments for long-term use.
1. Be taught who can and can’t take these medication
To profit from GLP-1 agonist medication, your body mass index ought to both be 30 or larger or be 27 or larger with a well being complication like:
- Prediabetes or kind 2 diabetes
- Heart problems
- Hypertension
- Excessive ldl cholesterol
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver illness
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Polycystic ovarian syndrome
In response to MyFitnessPal’s registered dietician, Stephanie Nelson, it’s essential to seek the advice of your well being care supplier earlier than beginning this medicine. It is because taking any medicine comes with sure dangers and doable unwanted effects. An excellent well being care supplier will show you how to weigh the dangers you face by taking the medicine versus the dangers of not taking it.
They’ll additionally issue within the well being advantages you’ll obtain by taking the medicine. These medication are greatest fitted to people who’re at health risk related to their weight. For instance, in case you have weight problems, you’re at a higher risk of creating diabetes or coronary heart illness.
However in the event you’re NOT at well being danger, then these medication aren’t recommended for you as a result of they put you at pointless danger of unwanted effects.
You additionally shouldn’t take GLP-1s if:
- You might have a private or household historical past of thyroid most cancers, as they enhance the danger of thyroid most cancers.
- You’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to get pregnant.
- You might have extreme bowel illness.
- You’re allergic/delicate to semaglutide.
- You might have a previous or energetic eating disorder.
One other factor to think about when choosing GLP-1s is the affect of those medication in your meals consumption.
For instance, GLP-1s impact food intake by quieting meals noise and subconsciously getting you to decide on much less salty, sugary, and fatty meals. This speaks to how highly effective your unconscious cues to eat are and the function your mind performs in weight problems.
However it is a double-edged sword since you nonetheless must be aware and aware of what you’re consuming to make sure you’re consuming sufficient—which is the place monitoring what you eat is available in.
Whereas taking GLP-1 medicines, it is advisable keep disciplined about making nutritious meals decisions and tracking your calories to forestall malnutrition and obtain wholesome weight reduction.
2. Know the GLP-1 medication accessible and their effectiveness
Many GLP-1 medicines can be found on the U.S. market. Nevertheless, solely the next three are presently permitted by the FDA to be used as weight-loss medication:
Semaglutide (Wegovy)
- Kind: injectable
- Frequency: weekly
- Beginning dose: 0.25 to 1.7 mg for the primary 16 weeks
- Upkeep dose: 2.4 mg
- Efficacy findings:
- Producer-sponsored research of 803 and 1,961 folks: common lower in physique weight of seven.9% and 14.9%, respectively, with smaller waists and decrease whole levels of cholesterol, systolic blood strain, and triglycerides
- Research review in 2021: weekly dose of Wegovy led to weight discount results in a number of research
Liraglutide (Saxenda)
Tirzepatide (Zepbound)
- Twin GLP-1/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor agonist
- Kind: injectable
- Frequency: weekly
- Beginning dose: 2.5 mg in 0.5-mL liquid resolution for the primary 4 weeks
- Upkeep dose: 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, or 15 mg from week 5 (primarily based on therapy response and drug tolerance)
- Efficacy findings:
- Manufactured-sponsored SURMOUNT-3 trial: whole imply weight lack of 26.6% over 84 weeks
- Manufactured-sponsored SURMOUNT-4 trial: whole imply weight lack of 26% over 88 weeks
3. Consider their potential unwanted effects
GLP-1 agonists include an extended checklist of potential adverse effects corresponding to:
- Digestive system: abdomen ache, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, indigestion, flatulence, bloating, belching, and gastroesophageal reflux
- Nervous system: headache, dizziness, fatigue, temper adjustments, and suicidal conduct or ideation
- Low blood sugar and diabetic retinopathy in folks with diabetes
- Allergic reactions
- Drug interactions
- Coronary heart fee adjustments
- Gall stones
- Pancreatitis
- Kidney harm
- Elevated danger of thyroid most cancers
In response to heart specialist and MyFitnessPal scientific advisor Danielle Belardo, MD, most gut-related unwanted effects will be resolved by way of dietary adjustments like consuming smaller meals, rising fiber consumption, and staying hydrated.
Enjoyable Truth: MyFitnessPal provides a FREE 7-day GLP-1 Vitamin Plan, made in collaboration with consultants from our scientific advisory board. Be taught extra!
4. Perceive the insurance coverage protection of those medication
Insurance coverage protection for GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide relies on a number of components, corresponding to the kind of medicine, plan, supplier, and well being situation.
GLP-1s are typically lined by insurance coverage, however provided that deemed medically essential. For instance, some suppliers cowl them in the event that they’re used to deal with kind 2 diabetes.
Medicare doesn’t cowl these medication for weight reduction, however in some states, Medicaid does.
Make sure you test along with your supplier earlier than beginning this drug. Some plans could require prior authorization or a documented prognosis. You may additionally want to fulfill sure well being standards or pay some copayment quantity.
Wegovy and Saxenda value $1,349.02 per month-to-month bundle.
Zepbound prices round $1,059.87 per 30 days.
Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly (the producers) supply savings programs for folks with out insurance coverage protection.
With this, it can save you round $500 a month for a four-week provide of Wegovy or Zepbound. In response to the corporate, most individuals with business protection for this drug pay lower than $25 per month.
5. Know the weight problems therapy alternate options to GLP-1
Listed below are some methods for weight administration if GLP-1s aren’t for you:
- Go for home-cooked as a substitute of ultra-processed foods.
- Make small, sustainable adjustments to vitamin.
- Add extra protein and fiber to your eating regimen.
- Lower down on high-sugar drinks. Drink extra plain water as a substitute.
- Be sure that to get enough, high-quality sleep.
- Transfer your physique extra — whether or not it’s by way of train, taking a stroll, and even doing chores.
- In excessive instances, think about different weight reduction therapies like surgical procedure or medicines that trigger weight reduction (like phentermine).
- Search recommendation from professionals like a registered dietician, psychologist, endocrinologist, or bodily therapist to obtain personalized care tailor-made to your wants.
6. Consider the utmost therapy period for GLP-1
Research reveals that folks acquire round two-thirds of their misplaced weight again inside a yr after stopping GLP-1 dietary supplements. So, these medication might not be your most suitable option for long-term weight reduction.
Obesity is taken into account a continual situation. Medication like GLP-1s suppress cravings, enhance insulin sensitivity, and mute obesity-promoting pathways within the physique. However these results will be reversed as soon as the drug is stopped.
Briefly, GLP-1s can be utilized for the therapy of weight problems however can not remedy it utterly. That’s why it is advisable be mentally ready to be on GLP-1s doubtlessly for all times in the event you want to obtain everlasting advantages.
The Backside Line: GLP-1s Aren’t Proper for Everybody
Selecting the best drug relies on many components like your well being standing, drug tolerance, finances, and insurance coverage protection. Converse to your well being care supplier earlier than beginning any medicines.
On the finish of the day, eating regimen and train are simply as necessary in a profitable weight reduction journey. For a straightforward begin, introduce small adjustments like planning your meals, monitoring your energy, or creating an train routine.
