Can Ozempic Treat Other Common Diseases Too?

Ozempic and similar medications have received widespread attention for the treatment of diabetes and weight loss. There’s also growing research that it may help treat heart disease, sleep apnea, kidney disease, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), substance use disorder and other conditions.

“Despite the promise, it’s best to take a cautiously optimistic view because research is in the early stages,” says Leena Khaitan, MD, Director of University Hospitals Bariatric Surgery Program. “There is still much to be learned about these drugs, how they work and the long-term effects.”

Dr. Khaitan answers other common questions about the potential of Ozempic and similar drugs for treating other conditions.

Q. Ozempic, Wegovy and other GLP-1 drugs have grown in popularity. What should consumers know about them?

A. Drugs in the Ozempic family are known as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists, which help lower blood sugar and promote weight loss.

These medicines are very effective for the right patients. What gets transmitted in media and advertising is that all you have to do is give yourself a shot once a week and the medicine does everything. It’s important for people to realize there is no sustainable weight loss program if diet and exercise aren’t at the core of it. To maintain results long-term, you have to eat well, with lots of protein and vegetables and minimal fast food, fried food and processed foods.

If you do that with GLP-1 medicines, it can be extremely effective. People have lost 20, 30, even 50 pounds using these medicines. We should remember one of the most effective and durable treatments for this amount of weight loss or more is weight loss surgery. Yet it’s only chosen by 1 percent of people who qualify.

Q. What about Ozempic and similar drugs for other conditions?

A. With these medicines, were seeing reduction of cardiac events, sleep apnea, hypertension, and other beneficial effects beyond weight loss and stabilizing blood sugar.

The question is: Is that a direct effect of the medicines or because of the weight loss? I think they go together. With bariatric surgery, we see many positive health effects. I think it’s the same for these medications. Researchers are trying to tease out why these effects happen.

Obesity is an underlying factor for so many health issues. With obesity, there is more inflammation in the body, which affects other disease processes. Hormonal changes that affect health are also associated with weight gain. For example, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is related to high testosterone levels, which tend to decline with weight loss.

There is a lot for us to understand here, but I think the underlying theme is obesity. The medications do have promise, but it may not be the medication itself, but rather their effect on weight loss that reduces other health conditions.

Q. Any words of caution?

A. These medications are being prescribed to a lot of people. I am concerned about long-term effects.

People need to educate themselves and talk to their providers about potential side effects. Particularly severe GI-related issues, such as gastroparesis (delayed gastric emptying). For most people, gastroparesis goes away. But studies coming out are showing persistent gastroparesis in about 4 percent of patients. That’s a miserable condition to have.

Also, just like with any weight-loss method, it may work great when you’re doing it, but when you stop doing it, there’s a good chance you will gain back the weight if you haven’t adopted healthy lifestyle changes.

We have no research on the long-term effects of these medications. Some people remain on what we call a maintenance dose. But it’s expensive, it may not be covered by your insurance and supply is poor because of high demand.

It’s also true that people have different obesity profiles. What works for one person may not work for another. These medications are not the answer to everyone’s prayer for weight loss. Patients should evaluate all methods of weight loss, including diet and exercise (core of everything), medications and surgery. Then determine which is the best for them.

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