The study, which looked into non-diabetic clients using these drugs for weight loss, found increased risks of pancreatitis, bowel blockage, and gastroparesis. Researchers advocate for clearer warning labels to ensure patients are fully notified.
Theyre being hailed as an effective method to lose weight, however diabetes drugs like Ozempic might come with an increased danger of extreme gastrointestinal issues.
Thats according to new research study from the University of British Columbia revealing that medications called GLP-1 agonists– that includes brand names like Wegovy, Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Saxenda– are associated with an increased risk of serious medical conditions including stomach pancreatitis, paralysis, and bowel obstruction.
Findings in Non-diabetic Patients
While previous studies highlighted a few of these threats in clients with diabetes, this is the first large, population-level study to take a look at adverse intestinal events in non-diabetic clients using the drugs particularly for weight-loss. The findings were released today in JAMA.
” Given the broad usage of these drugs, these adverse occasions, although uncommon, should be considered by patients thinking of utilizing them for weight reduction,” stated first author Mohit Sodhi, a graduate of UBCs experimental medication program and fourth-year UBC medical trainee studying the unfavorable events of frequently recommended medications. “The risk calculus will differ depending upon whether a client is using these drugs for diabetes, obesity, or just general weight loss. People who are otherwise healthy might be less going to accept these potentially severe unfavorable events.”
Increase in Off-label Use
First author Mohit Sodhi of the University of British Columbia. Credit: UBC Faculty of Medicine
GLP-1 agonists were originally established for managing Type 2 diabetes, however exploded in popularity over the previous decade as an off-label weight-loss tool, reaching around 40 million prescriptions in the U.S. in 2022.
It was only in 2021 that some types of the medications were authorized as a treatment for weight problems. Randomized medical trials analyzing the efficacy of the medications for weight loss were not developed to capture rare intestinal events due to their small sample sizes and short follow-up durations.
” There have actually been anecdotal reports of some patients using these drugs for weight reduction and then presenting with repeated episodes of nausea and vomiting secondary to a condition described as gastroparesis,” said senior author Dr. Mahyar Etminan, an epidemiologist and associate teacher in the department of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the UBC faculty of medicine. “But until now, there hasnt been any information from big epidemiologic studies.”
Comprehensive Study Findings
To assist fill this understanding gap, UBC scientists examined medical insurance claim records for approximately 16 million U.S. patients and took a look at people recommended either semaglutide or liraglutide, two main GLP-1 agonists, in between 2006 and 2020. They consisted of clients with a recent history of weight problems, and excluded those with diabetes or who had actually been prescribed another antidiabetic drug.
The scientists evaluated the records to see the number of patients developed among 4 gastrointestinal conditions and compared that rate to clients using another weight reduction drug, bupropion-naltrexone. Compared to bupropion-naltrexone, GLP-1 agonists were related to a:
9.09 times greater risk of pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas, which can cause extreme stomach discomfort and, in some cases, require hospitalization and surgery.
4.22 times higher danger of bowel obstruction, where food is prevented from going through the large or little intestinal tract, resulting in symptoms like cramping, bloating, nausea, and throwing up. Depending on the intensity, surgical treatment might be required.
3.67 times greater risk of gastroparesis, or stomach paralysis, which restricts the passage of food from the stomach to the little intestine and leads to signs like throwing up, nausea, and stomach discomfort.
Recent research study from the University of British Columbia has actually discovered that GLP-1 agonists, a type of diabetes medication used off-label for weight loss, bring heightened threats of serious gastrointestinal complications. The research study, which looked into non-diabetic patients using these drugs for weight loss, found increased threats of pancreatitis, bowel blockage, and gastroparesis. Researchers supporter for clearer warning labels to make sure patients are fully informed.
” Given the wide use of these drugs, these adverse events, although unusual, need to be thought about by patients believing about using them for weight loss,” said very first author Mohit Sodhi, a graduate of UBCs experimental medication program and fourth-year UBC medical student studying the negative occasions of frequently prescribed medications. “The threat calculus will vary depending on whether a client is using these drugs for diabetes, obesity, or just general weight loss.
The study also discovered a higher incidence of biliary disease, a group of conditions affecting the gall bladder, however the distinction was not found to be statistically substantial.
Recommendations and implications
The researchers say that although the events are uncommon, with millions worldwide using the drugs, it might still result in hundreds of thousands of individuals experiencing these conditions.
” These drugs are becoming significantly accessible, and it is worrying that, sometimes, people can simply go online and order these kinds of medications when they may not have a complete understanding of what could potentially occur. This goes straight versus the mantra of notified permission,” stated Sodhi.
In the meantime, the scientists hope that regulative agencies and drug makers will think about upgrading the alerting labels for their products, which presently do not consist of the threat of gastroparesis.
” This is important info for patients to understand so they can seek prompt medical attention and prevent serious consequences,” said Sodhi.
Recommendation: “Risk of Gastrointestinal Adverse Events Associated With Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists for Weight Loss” by Mohit Sodhi, Ramin Rezaeianzadeh, Abbas Kezouh and Mahyar Etminan, 5 October 2023, JAMA.DOI: 10.1001/ jama.2023.19574.