An Ozempic expert explains what you need to know before taking GLP-1 drugs

Few drugs in recent years have shaken medicine and society in general to the extent that the semaglutida and their brothers have.

The semaglutida is the active ingredient in the Ozempic diabetes drug and the obesity medication, since it was approved in 2021, Ozempic has become a common treatment outside of label for obesity). It is a synthetic version of the GLP-1 hormone, which helps regulate our metabolism and hunger. The most new GLP-1 medications have proven to be much more effective in treating obesity than diet and exercise, and its benefits seem to extend beyond weight loss. Only this month, for example, a study study suggested that the use of LPG-1 is associated With a reduced risk of up to 42 different health conditions, including heart attacks, dementia and substance use disorders.

As these medications seem, many people, including those who could be eligible to take them, still do not know much about them. Alexandra Sowa, specialist in Obesity Medicine and instructor In the Nyu Grossman School of Medicine, ha debut A new book this month, entitled The Ozempic revolutiondestined to change that. The book is announced as a “full user guide” for possible patients and people who take them well at this time. Not only includes tips on how to ensure the health coverage of often expensive medicines, which can cost more than $ 1,000 per month without insurance, but also offers advice on how to administer and avoid common gastrointestinal side effects to take them.

Gizmodo spoke with Sowa about his experiences in the field of obesity, the wrong concepts surrounding LPG-1 therapy and how could the future of obesity treatment be. This next conversation has been edited for clarity and grammar.

Ed face, gizmodo: How has it been for you, as a doctor specialized in obesity treatment, to see the emergence of Ozempic drugs and the like in recent years? And how much have things really changed since their arrival?

Alexandra Sowa: When I found the field of obesity medicine, you should not look back. I wanted to be a doctor to work to prevent the disease, and this field allowed me to do it. But until very recently, people simply could not understand what we were doing in our specialized clinics. Therefore, it has been exciting to see a widespread acceptance of the fact that obesity is a disease recently, which is not due to lack of power. And that deserves reflective, attentive and integral treatment.

I’m sure you know it, but GLP-1 medications for weight control have been on the market for a long time, starting with Saxenda More than 10 years ago. So we have had other tools, they were simply not so effective. So, until we begin to obtain these most effective injectables, we did not get people to say: ‘Oh, this really works’. And that is conducted, I believe, to the meteoric ascent in the cover of the press. And then social networks have also been part of this, with people who only share their stories. And that has been really wonderful to see.

Gizmodo: What were some of the biggest erroneous myths or concepts about LPG-1 drugs that you wanted to dissipate with your book?

Owl: I think the greatest is that people think of these drugs as a kind of magic wand, an easy way out. And they will see it as that magical wand for them, or the detractors will say: ‘Well, this is the easy exit. You should strive more. But these medications are not a magical wand. People still need comprehensive care to achieve the objectives that they and doctors like us want: significant weight loss, better health, disease prevention.

We still need to know how to eat, how to exercise, how to maintain our muscle mass and how to think differently about our bodies and our trip. And there is really where I see the difference between people who simply receive a recipe for these medications and people receive comprehensive care. So I have written this book to be a Bible for anyone who thinks about doing these drugs, which are currently taking these drugs, or even contemplating the resignation treatment because it is not expected.

I also believe that there is also a great disconnection among people who write for medicines. As a specialist in Obesity Medicine, there are only thousands of millions of doctors. Somewhere, about 0.3% of doctors have training in obesity medicine. And we know that many more people are recipeing these medications now, which is excellent because we want to increase access and reduce barriers to get the medication. But the problem that I am really seeing is that there are often no time in medical care systems or on these asynchronous platforms where people receive comprehensive care.

Secondly, until that moment, it is that people are seeing this potentially as a short -term solution. But really, these medications are intended and approved for long -term use, potentially forever. And, therefore, we should not take these medications without at least have that very serious risk benefit conversation with a doctor.

Gizmodo: Related to that, how worried people should be for the general security of Ozempic and similar drugs? Is we likely to see the really common serious health risks in the future?

Owl: That is another very common erroneous concept about these drugs: they are new, a fashion and are not safe. Well, we have had GLP-1 drugs around the early 2000s. They have been widely studied. They have been used exclusively for weight control for more than 10 years. And really, they work and are very safe, with very, very, very few contraindications (that is, reasons why a treatment should not be used). They are probably one of the easiest to prescribe medications in terms of thinking: “What do I have to take into account here?”

What is so unique to these drugs is that they are not just for an indication. And what we are seeing is a drip effect, right? Back to this concept of obesity care as preventive care, preventive medicine. It is possible that I never get to that place where I have a diagnosis of Xyz because I was in this medicine. We have very large databases, with hundreds of thousands of people in these medications. And what we continue to see of these data is actually a greater improvement of the states of diseases and prevention instead of new risks, which is wonderful to see.

That said, we really have to deal with respect. GLP-1 medications are a true modern medical miracle and a revolution in how we can treat patients. But with that comes a great need for respect for the process. And I would say that although we are seeing that there is a benefit in all areas, we still need to enter that risk-benefit conversation with our patients.

Gizmodo: Where do you see the future of the treatment of obesity in general?

Owl: Obesity is complex and there are many hormones at stake and many, many genes. Other ways that we had tried to try in the past not actually, in theory, they should have worked, but then they did not. So, now that we have deciphered the surface of what is effective in the treatment of obesity, I think what we will see is a more personalized therapy.

If you have x amount of weight to lose and have comorbidity x (pre -existing medical conditions), this will be the medication for you. Or genetically, if we know what potentially lacks this gene, this will be the medication for you. Some of these new iterations, dual agonists, have such a significant weight loss that not everyone needs those medicines; We can actually start with some of the previous iterations. So I think it will simply address what your specific needs are.

I also believe that, at a very, very important level, since we see more medications in the pipe, which the cost decreases. The biggest barrier for generalized use at this time is the cost. And I think we will begin to see potentially easier modalities to take medications. Maybe it’s an injection for a month, maybe they are pills or patches.

Gizmodo: What is the greatest conclusion with which you would like to leave our readers?

Owl: I have written this book because I want people to feel really empowered. It shouldn’t be as simple as getting a recipe leaving the office and never thinking about it again. This is a complete turn of how you are going to live your life and how you approach food and exercise, and we must see it as such. There must always be a conversation at the beginning about long -term risks, long -term benefits and where it fits this. I do not want to see that this becomes a drug of vanity where there are really no benefits for someone and only the risks. But if used for correct indications, in general, all benefits far exceed any minimum small risk.

The other thing is that I think there has been an increase of influential people talking about these medications. And it is wonderful that people can share their history. But experience is important with these medications. And that is why I have written this book so that people can become their own experts. So that they do not fall in love with myths, erroneous concepts or false news of everything, that they can be empowered to make really responsible decisions and change their lives for themselves.