People on Ozempic may have fewer heart attacks, strokes, addictions—but more nausea, vomiting, stomach pain

Ozempic and Wegovy are more and more out there in Australia and worldwide to deal with sort 2 diabetes and weight problems.

The dramatic results of those medication, often called GLP-1s, on weight reduction have sparked large public curiosity on this new remedy choice.

Nonetheless, the dangers and advantages are nonetheless being actively studied.

In a brand new research in Nature Medication, researchers from the USA reviewed well being information from about 2.4 million individuals who have sort 2 diabetes, together with round 216,000 individuals who used a GLP-1 drug, between 2017 and 2023.

The researchers in contrast a variety of well being outcomes when GLP-1s had been added to an individual’s remedy plan, versus managing their diabetes in different methods, usually utilizing glucose-lowering medicines.

General, they discovered individuals who used GLP-1s had been much less prone to expertise 42 well being situations or antagonistic well being occasions—however extra prone to face 19 others.

What situations had been much less widespread?

Cardiometabolic situations. GLP-1 use was related to fewer critical cardiovascular and coagulation issues. This contains deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, stroke, cardiac arrest, coronary heart failure and myocardial infarction.
Neurological and psychiatric situations. GLP-1 use was related to fewer reported substance use issues or addictions, psychotic issues and seizures.
Infectious situations. GLP-1 use was related to fewer bacterial infections and pneumonia.

What situations had been extra widespread?

Gastrointestinal situations. In step with prior research, GLP-1 use was related to gastrointestinal situations reminiscent of nausea, vomiting, gastritis, diverticulitis and stomach ache.
Different antagonistic results. Elevated dangers had been seen for situations reminiscent of low blood stress, syncope (fainting) and arthritis.

How strong is that this research?

The research used a big and respected dataset from the US Division of Veterans Affairs. It is an observational research, that means the researchers tracked well being outcomes over time with out altering anybody’s remedy plan.

A energy of the research is it captures information from greater than 2.4 million individuals throughout greater than six years. That is for much longer than what is often possible in an intervention research.

Observational research like this are additionally regarded as extra reflective of the “actual world,” as a result of members aren’t requested to comply with directions to vary their conduct in unnatural or pressured methods, as they’re in intervention research.

Nonetheless, this research can not say for certain that GLP-1 use was the reason for the change in threat of various well being outcomes. Such conclusions can solely be confidently made out of tightly managed intervention research, the place researchers actively change or management the remedy or conduct.

The authors observe the info used on this research comes from predominantly older, white males, so the findings might not apply to different teams.

Additionally, the massive variety of members implies that even very small results may be detected, however they may not really make an actual distinction in total inhabitants well being.

Different potential causes for these hyperlinks

Past the impact of GLP-1 within the physique, different components might clarify a few of the findings on this research. For instance, it is potential that:

Individuals who used GLP-1 might be extra knowledgeable about remedy choices and extra motivated to handle their very own well being
Individuals who used GLP-1 might have acquired it as a result of their health-care staff had been motivated to supply the most recent remedy choices, which might result in higher care in different areas that affect the danger of assorted well being outcomes
Individuals who used GLP-1 might have been in a position to take action as a result of they lived in metropolitan facilities and will afford the treatment, in addition to different health-promoting companies and merchandise, reminiscent of gyms, psychological well being care, or wholesome meals supply companies.

Did the authors have any conflicts of curiosity?

Two of the research’s authors declared they had been “uncompensated consultants” for Pfizer, a world pharmaceutical firm identified for growing a variety of medicines and vaccines. Whereas Pfizer doesn’t at present make available GLP-1s reminiscent of Ozempic or Wegovy, they’re trying to develop their very own GLP-1s, so might profit from higher demand for these medication.

This analysis was funded by the US Division of Veterans Affairs, a authorities company that gives a variety of companies to navy veterans.

No different competing pursuits had been reported.

Diabetes vs. weight-loss therapies

General, this research reveals individuals with sort 2 diabetes utilizing GLP-1 treatment usually have extra constructive well being outcomes than adverse well being outcomes.

Nonetheless, the research did not embrace individuals with out sort 2 diabetes. Extra analysis is required to grasp the consequences of those medicines in individuals with out diabetes who’re utilizing them for different causes, together with weight reduction.

Whereas the findings spotlight the therapeutic advantages of GLP-1 medicines, additionally they increase vital questions on find out how to handle the potential dangers for individuals who select to make use of this treatment.

The findings of this research may also help many individuals, together with:

policymakers methods to make GLP-1 medicines extra extensively out there for individuals with numerous well being situations
well being professionals who’ve common discussions with sufferers contemplating GLP-1 use
people contemplating whether or not a GLP-1 treatment is true for them.

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