Researchers at the University of British Columbia have found that popular weight-loss medications can have serious side effects. Ozempic, Vegovi and other drugs that affect the function of peptide hormones increase the risk of gastrointestinal disease. In this respect reports Health News.
GLP-1 is a peptide hormone synthesized in the gastrointestinal tract. GLP-1 receptor antagonist drugs normalize blood sugar levels and reduce appetite by mimicking the production of this hormone.
Researchers examined data from electronic health records of 16 million Americans who took various weight-loss medications from 2006 to 2020. Scientists compared the incidence of gastrointestinal diseases in patients taking GLP-1 agonists with those taking other medications.
It turned out that Ozempic and other drugs in this group increased the risk of developing pancreatitis by 9.09 times. This is inflammation of the pancreas, which can cause severe abdominal pain, fever, nausea and vomiting. Additionally, patients taking GLP-1 agonists were 4.22 times more likely to experience intestinal obstruction.
Another unexpected effect was an increased risk of a disease such as gastroparesis (stomach paralysis). This is a digestive disorder characterized by a decrease in the activity of the muscular system of the stomach, making it difficult for food to pass into the small intestine.
The authors of the study urge people who want to lose weight to take into account the possibility of side effects and choose treatment responsibly. Scientists are also concerned about the proliferation of weight-loss drugs. This can cause hundreds of thousands of people to experience serious gastrointestinal illness.
Previous scientists named The reason for the ineffectiveness of weight loss training.