What are the pros and cons of taking weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy?
What are the pros and cons of taking weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy?
Some of the advantages of these medications include decreasing cardiac risk for which it has been FDA approved. It helps control blood sugars in diabetic and prediabetic patients. It helps with weight loss by decreasing cravings and decreasing appetite. It also helps to boost confidence overall by helping patients look and feel better.
Some of the disadvantages of these medications include the various gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation. These medications help with weight loss but some of that weight loss is muscle mass in addition to fat. It has been shown that after getting off the medicine patients tend to regain some of the weight that was lost. Lastly, a major disadvantage is that if the medicine is not covered by insurance you can expect to pay one thousand dollars a month.
A new study has shown weight loss drugs have helped reduce some cancer risk in type 2 diabetics, is this true and are there other benefits for patients?
Yes and no. It does help decrease the risk of cancers however indirectly. It has been shown to decreases risk of obesity related cancers like breast, prostate and endometrial cancer. So it does prevent cancer but through its side effect of weight loss.
Other benefits include the reduction in heart attack risk and improvements in arthritis and back pain also because of the weight loss.
What should patients needing this medication take into account before starting it?
Patients need to take into account that this medication will help you lose weight but if you do not develop healthy habits during the time of weight loss then you are likely to gain some of that weight back. Then there are the gastrointestinal side effects that can last up to a week after getting the injection. Lastly, patients need to consider the cost of the medicine.
