Audit Expert: Wu Xi.
Deputy Chief Physician of the Department of Endocrinology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University.
MD. Recently, semaglutide for **type 2 diabetes** has been regarded as a "miracle drug" because of its obvious weight loss effect, and has been widely sought after on major social platforms, "you can lose weight without moving and lying down", "you can lose weight without having to endure hunger", "Musk recommends", "lose 10 pounds with one injection", ......
Image source |A foreign social platform.
Many people in China rushed to buy it regardless of the risks of adverse reactions and off-label abuse of prescription drugs, resulting in a shortage of goods in hospitals, many real type 2 diabetes patients could not buy the drugs they needed, and drug dealers sold counterfeit drugs.
* |Encyclopedia.
What is semaglutide?
Semaglutide is an analogue of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that has high structural homology to GLP-1, which is naturally occurring in humans. GLP-1 in the human body is a peptide hormone secreted by intestinal cells, its mechanism of action is to increase the number of pancreatic B cells by promoting the proliferation and differentiation of pancreatic B cells, inhibiting apoptosis, that is, by accelerating the old pancreatic B cells**, differentiating into new pancreatic B cells and inhibiting the apoptosis of normal pancreatic B cells, increasing the pancreatic B cells in the body, thereby promoting the synthesis and secretion of insulin (pancreatic B cells can synthesize and secrete insulin).
At the same time, it also has the effect as shown in the following figure:
The rising arrow indicates a facilitating effect, and the descending arrow indicates a reduced or delayed effect **bio-revieworg
Semaglutide and GLP-1 have up to 94% structural homology, so the biochemical properties of the two substances determined by the structure of the substance are also extremely similar, this drug was originally developed for type 2 diabetes, it can help the body reduce energy intake by reducing appetite and reducing hunger, and can also achieve weight loss by changing food preferences, delaying gastric emptying, and enhancing satiety.
Studies have shown that semaglutide directly stimulates the hypothalamus and hindbrain and reduces appetite by indirectly activating the vagus nerve, thereby reducing energy intake. This effect can control food intake at the source, which is more conducive to weight control and **.
Clinical studies have shown that obese patients using semaglutide have significantly lower preferences and intake of high-calorie foods compared to the placebo group. Reducing the intake of high-salt and high-sugar foods will help reduce blood sugar levels in the body, reduce fat accumulation in the body, maintain endocrine stability, and delay aging.
Can semaglutide be used as a drug?
Although semaglutide has attracted the public attention for its remarkable effects, the drug can cause adverse reactions such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, etc., which should also be concerned.
Studies have found that most of the symptoms present are gastrointestinal discomfort, and most of them are mild to moderate, short-lived, and usually tolerable. In addition, it is very likely that the weight lost from drug dependence will come back after stopping the use of the drug, and the effect will not be achieved once and for all.
At present, the drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration for weight loss in China are orlistat and benaglutide, which has just been approved. Orlistat, the most commonly used, can reduce weight loss by reducing the absorption of fat from food by the intestinal mucosa, which can promote fat excretion from the body, but it is not clear what adverse effects orlistat will have on human health after long-term use.
Semaglutide has only been approved by the State Food and Drug Administration for use in type 2 diabetes in China, and has not been approved for weight loss indications, which means that it is only approved as a prescription drug for type 2 diabetes in China, and there will be a risk of off-label use when used in **.
Semaglutide is used in non-diabetic patients clinically, mainly for patients who do not have diabetes but are obese and have complications (such as hypertension symptoms or sleep apnea syndrome, etc.), and must be used under the guidance of a doctor, approved by the hospital to use the prescription drug, and regular follow-up is also required according to the condition. It is not recommended for patients with thyroid disease or digestive disorders.
* |pixabay
It seems that every once in a while, a new miracle drug will be popular on the market, and the aura of celebrity effect and the sharing of various experiences make the effect of the drug be rumored to be miraculous with the wide spread of the Internet, and the adverse reactions and negative effects behind it are often covered by the light in the process of information dissemination.
When a new round of "miracle medicine" surges, we should be able to think objectively and rationally, do not blindly follow the trend, follow the clouds, do not easily test the unknown risks with our own health, do not be overly anxious, excessive pursuit of low weight, low body fat rate, etc., I believe that controlling diet, controlling oil and sugar and insisting on exercise is the right way to be healthy, and accepting and accepting ourselves is an important topic to achieve a happy life.