Doctors Approve a Diabetes Medication that Aids in Weight Loss

Higher oral doses of the diabetes medication Semaglutide, according to new research published in The Lancet, may offer promise for lowering blood sugar levels and assisting weight loss. The review, led by an international team of scientists, looked at changed doses of oral semaglutide and found that the higher dosages of 25 mg and 50 mg showed improved brings about decreasing blood sugar levels and elevating weight reduction contrasted with the lowest dose of 14 mg.

Dr. Ashu Rastogi, Associate Professor at the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, PGIMER Chandigarh, features the developing issue of obesity in India, which has been connected to the ascent of non-communicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension. Dr. Rastogi explains that lifestyle modifications like better dietary patterns and exercise can help in weight decrease and worked on metabolic results. Nonetheless, supporting these progressions in the long term can be testing, prompting weight recover. Thusly, there is a requirement for pharmacotherapy to help weight reduction and further develop results.

Semaglutide is an oral glucagon receptor-1 analogue that decreases hunger and cravings, bringing about weight loss. It is currently approved for diabetes patients in India in doses of 14 mg. The use of higher oral Semaglutide doses—25 mg and 50 mg—in obese people without diabetes was the subject of a recent Lancet study. Over the course of the 68-week study, participants lost an average of 15% of their body weight, with more than two-thirds achieving a weight loss of at least 10%. The study additionally included Asian subjects who answered in much the same way to Semaglutide as different races. Weight loss was related to an improvement in patients’ quality of life, albeit a few gastrointestinal side effects like nausea and constipation were accounted for.

According to Dr. Rastogi, this class of drugs might be a useful addition to the treatment options for India’s obese population. Notwithstanding, the significant expense of the medication at present restricts its availability.

According to Dr. Sandeep S. Chhatwal, an Internal Medicine Specialist at Omni Clinics in Chandigarh, Semaglutide was initially approved for the treatment of diabetes and is currently being investigated for the purpose of assisting obese patients in losing weight. If obese patients can tolerate the medication, the study in The Lancet may open the door to higher Semaglutide doses. Notwithstanding, the expense stays a significant barrier, restricting access essentially to higher-income groups.

Dr. KP Singh, Director of Endocrinology at Fortis Hospital Mohali and Principal Investigator of the Semaglutide Trial, proposes that the unrivaled glycemic control and weight loss saw with the higher dosages of oral Semaglutide demonstrate the potential for separately customized therapy objectives. These objectives would focus on glucose-lowering as well as on body weight and cardiovascular risk decrease targets. Dr. Singh adds that other conditions with high unmet needs, such as Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), are also being investigated for Semaglutide. He claims that Fortis Hospital is one of the leading centers participating in this indication’s clinical trials.