SEMAGLUTIDE

Semaglutide is a GLP-1 agonist peptide which had originally been approved for diabetes and is now being used to help people to lose weight. The actions of semaglutide include reducing appetite and slowing gastric emptying promoting  a sense of fullness when eating. It’s metabolic actions also promote weight loss more efficiently than achieved with just diet and exercise. It’s active ingredient is what is contained in the medications Ozentic and Wegovy.

This peptide is self administered in a subcutaneous injection on a once per week basis. For those skittish about giving themselves an injection, it is accomplished with a tiny needle just under the skin which is called a subcutaneous injection, which people find quite simple after in office instruction. For people who have tried many diets unsuccessfully, this gives them the metabolic advantage they need to finally  accomplish losing the weight loss that has eluded them for so long.

THERE ARE MANY OTHER BENEFITS TO TAKING SEMAGLUTIDE

Because excess body fat is implicated in the risk and development of many other medical conditions, the evidence is now emerging that along with accomplishing your weight loss goal, semaglutide may benefit your heart, lower cancer risk, lower dementia  risk and help you with addictive substances like alcohol.

Reduces Heart Attack, Stroke and Cardiac Deaths

In the studies done on diabetic patients I order to obtain FDA approval of Semaglutide for diabetes, it was shown to reduce the occurrence of adverse cardiac events over the two year study period.              

A study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine found that the weight loss drug Wegovy (semaglutide) reduced  the risk of cardiac death by 20%.  Although these results of this study are very significant, they aren’t a great surprise. Research over the years has shown  that obesity increases one’s risk of heart disease. But this study is of great significance because it is clear evidence of that using Semaglutide lowers the occurrence of heart disease. This was very large study, with over 17,600 people and they were followed for approximately 3 years to observe the outcomes.

This may also have a great impact on those who have already suffered a heart attack or a stroke. That’s because anyone who has suffered a major cardiac event is always considered to be at risk of another such event happening in the future. So these medications may be literally life saving for them.

WEIGHT LOSS MEDICATIONS REDUCE COLON CANCER RISK

 

Recently completed research published in the scientific journal JAMA Oncology showed that diabetics who took GLP-1 agonist medications had a 44% lower risk of Colorectal cancer compared to other type 2 diabetics. Having diabetes has long been known to increase the risk of colorectal cancer and learning how to best address this risk has been an important question that has needed to be answered. Treating diabetics optimally to control the condition is one attempt to address this problem, but beyond simply controlling diabetes, this study seems to indicate that treating diabetics with the particular class of medications known as GLP-1 agonists may lower the risk of colorectal cancer more than for those using other diabetes medications. Specifically in this study participants were found to have a 25% lower risk utilizing the GLP-1 agonist medications, compared to patients who took the commonly prescribed diabetes medication Metformin.

REDUCED RISK OF OTHER CANCERS

 
Approximatey two thirds of  U.S. adults are overweight or have obesity. Obesity itself is a risk factor for a wide variety of cancers including breast, uterine, kidney, gallbladder, liver and pancreatic cancers as well as colorectal cancer.

 Approximately 4-8% of all cancers are obesity related. The NIH (National Institutes of Health) states ,”Weight-reducing strategies in obesity-associated cancers are important interventions as a key component of cancer  care https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9857053/#:~:text=Obesity%20has%20been%20linked%20to,cancers%20are%20attributed%20to%20obesity.

 

 

WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS MAY HELP PCOS

 

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a  condition of hormonal imbalance that is characterized by menstrual cycle irregularity, weight gain, fertility problems, excessive hair growth, and acne. There are also metabolic factors involved in PCOS such as insulin resistance, with its associated risk of pre-diabetes and diabetes.  Because insulin resistance is involved in this disorder, it makes sense that Ozempic (Semaglutide), a diabetes medications might help PCOS.

 

ALCOHOL ADDICTION

Semaglutide’s great success for weight loss is due to its action in reducing the desire for food.  But another striking effect that has emerged is that it also decreases the desire for things other than food- Namely alcohol, nicotine and opioids! There is certainly a logic to this-if it reduces the desire for food by some mechanism related to the brain’s pleasure center, then it would seem that it might reduce the desire for other substances people crave. This was first noticed when doctor’s prescribing semaglutide were made aware by their patients that along with less desire for food they found it easy to pass up their consumption of alcohol which they were advised to lessen as a part of their weight loss plan.

 

Non scientists have been sharing their experience which seem to confirm these effects. A published report about real estate agent Meg Johnston from the D.C, area stated that during covid she gained weight and also, “I would drink out of boredom, just total boredom”. So she began takin semaglutide and noticed that “Many days I don’t drink at all. It’s hard to explain why. Alcohol just doesn’t sound as appetizing or appealing”.

Dr Lorenzo Leggio, clinical director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse  explains that these diabetes/weight loss drugs don’t just work on blood sugar. “They also work on the brain”, he explains. “The mechanism in the brain that regulates overeating overlaps with those responsible for the development and maintenance of addiction, including alcohol disorder.”

Although more research need to be done on the effects of Semaglutide on addictions of all kinds, it is being widely reported that clinics around the country have started using it for alcohol and control of other addictive behaviors and are reporting success.

 

                SEMAGLUTIDE MAY LOWER DEMENTIA /ALZHEIMER’S RISKThe Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio  is investigating this.

Diabetes, obesity drug studied for effect on Alzheimer’s

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, diabetes raises the risk for heart disease, which damages the heart and blood vessels, including vessels in the brain. Damaged brain blood vessels could contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s.

The San Antonio center is participating in two worldwide studies, regarding the use of semaglutide to delay early-onset dementia.

Rose Ann Barajas, Biggs Institute project coordinator says,

“It has been known for many years that Type 2 diabetes increases the risk for strokes and heart disease. Some studies suggest that diabetes also increases the risk for dementia,” she said. “The entire research team takes heed of all the reasons why the eventual findings from the EVOKE studies may have a positive impact here.”

Sudha Seshadri, MD, a neurologist and founding director of the Biggs Institute. explains that heart disease and diabetes, which often go hand in hand, can lead to vascular brain injury. “Vascular brain injury, even if it doesn’t cause Alzheimer’s, reduces the brain’s resistance to developing Alzheimer’s and other pathology.”

 Semaglutide appears to be a truly amazing medication which can not only help people lose weight, but greatly impact their risk of disease and dying from a number of causes.

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