Providers also often encourage patients to eat enough protein and consider weight training to limit the amount of muscle mass loss, which is metabolically protective, while losing weight on GLP-1 drugs. Of course, they’re most well known in the public as potent weight loss drugs. By reducing appetite, stimulating the production of insulin and slowing digestion, the drugs effectively manage blood sugar levels. The medications are expensive and often aren’t covered by insurance for weight loss, so access barriers to access persist for many in San Antonio. A weekly dose of semaglutide not only suppresses your appetite, but also delays the rate at which food leaves your stomach, helping you to feel full for longer. The key ingredient in these appetite suppressants is usually semaglutide, or tirzepatide in the case of Mounjaro, but each one acts in a similar way. The little blue pill might help with physical arousal, but there are better treatments for low libido in women It can, but it isn’t sustainable, lacks nutritional balance and you’ll likely regain weight as soon as you start eating adult foods again Most dual-purpose drugs belong to the GLP-1 receptor agonist family. Investigators did not report data for weight loss in placebo groups, and they did not provide data on weight loss maintenance. Fluoxetine (Prozac) and orlistat (Xenical) produce modest short-term weight loss, but their long-term benefits are unclear and their safety is uncertain. In 2012, Wendy received her Certified Diabetes Educator designation and conducts many diabetes-related medication reviews for both adults and children. But more options are needed, Levy notes, especially since the drugs need to be taken for the long term.For patients who underwent a bariatric procedure during the 72-week follow-up period, we censored all body weight and BMI measurements that occurred following the bariatric procedure.This hormone is released by the gut in response to eating and has several effects that help regulate blood sugar levels, hunger, and slow digestion.In adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, there is an increased risk of the disease worsening, or of experiencing cardiovascular death.For example, they shouldn’t be prescribing semaglutide if the patient is taking another GLP-1 receptor agonist or a dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitor.These diabetes medicines help your body get rid of extra sugar through urine.Currently, most private health plans are not required to cover medications for weight loss, but some do so voluntarily and most cover drugs with the same active ingredients for diabetes treatment. Today, health insurance is just one of a number of sectors facing disruption and uncertainty. And, if they do, will these be healthier lives, or will more years also mean more health interventions? The question is not merely whether GLP-1s should be available through health insurance, but of what the impact will be from their widespread uptake. A weight-loss plan with diet, exercise and drug therapy is generally considered successful if you lose about 1 pound (0.5 kilogram) a week during the first month.GLP-1 receptor agonist medications mimic the action of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), a hormone secreted by your intestines when you eat.Venom from this colorful creature inspired the development of exenatide (Byetta), the first in a class of drugs known as incretin mimetics.There are several GLP-1 medications now approved by the Food and Drug Administration for diabetes treatment.To what extent will they reduce the morbidities that often accompany obesity, such as heart disease and diabetes?The FDA also continues to review side effects that are reported with these medications while they’re on the market.“The fundamentals of obesity management will always be changes to diet and exercise,” Dr. Surampudi says. Another option is the Mediterranean diet, which is also linked to reducing the risk of heart diseases and stroke. There are different ways to lose weight, such as a low-carb diet - but there's no one-size-fits-all approach. Evidence tells us this is more likely if you are able to lose weight within 6 years of your diagnosis. Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are a newer class of medications approved for type 2 diabetes that act by blocking the SGLT2-induced reabsorption of glucose in the proximal tubules of the kidneys, thereby causing glycosuria, weight loss, and improved glycemic control.Dating back to 1959, phentermine is a short-term treatment that’s still being prescribed today.The next generation of weight-loss drugs will also mimic another natural gut hormone — amylin, which is released by the pancreas in response to food.You may report side effects to the FDA at FDA-1088.It works by mimicking a hormone in the body — glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) — that helps control appetite and blood sugar levels.But they’ve also revealed that participants tend to regain the weight lost when they stop taking semaglutide.Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) isn’t very common with semaglutide on its own. But it's a medical condition that increases the risk of many other diseases and health conditions. However, low blood sugar can occur when you use semaglutide with other medicines, including insulin or sulfonylureas, that can lower blood sugar. Semaglutide injection is also used together with diet and exercise to help lose weight and keep the weight off in patients with at least one weight-related medical condition. GLP-1 is a hormone that occurs naturally in your body — it’s created by your own small intestine. In 2005, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first-ever GLP-1 agonist, exenatide (Byetta). The University of Kentucky Public Relations and Strategic Communications Office provides a weekly health column available for use and reprint by news media. Research continues to show the effectiveness of semaglutide injections for weight loss. But the newest anti-obesity medication, semaglutide, is still making waves more than a year after its 2021 approval by the U.S. The search for effective and safe weight loss treatment seems never-ending. Eli Lilly's latest news comes just days after Pfizer announced that it would scrap the development of danuglipron, a once-daily GLP-1 pill for diabetes and weight management, after one person reported a liver injury while taking the drug during a clinical trial. Eli Lilly plans to submit orforglipron GLP-1 pill data to the FDA by the end of the year for consideration of the pill for weight loss management, and for Type 2 diabetes management in early 2026. An emphasis on foods high in saturated fat also counters recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the American Heart Association and may have adverse effects on blood LDL cholesterol. Available research on the ketogenic diet for weight loss is still limited. The total calorie level also does not change despite the amount of net carbs, which is an important factor with weight loss. Lower blood sugar helps control type 2 diabetes. When blood sugar starts to rise after a person eats, these medicines cause the body to make more insulin. But people who take them still have better weight loss results than those who do not take the medicine. Wegovy® is available through a range of options including US pharmacies such as CVS and Costco, select telehealth providers including Ro, LifeMD and Weight Watchers, NovoCare® Pharmacy, GoodRx and others. In OASIS 4, common adverse reactions were similar to those previously seen in clinical trials with Wegovy® (semaglutide) injection 2.4 mg, including nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.1 Analysis of all patients regardless Percent weight reduction at 64 weeks1 Your blood sugar level can drop for many reasons. Low blood sugar is when blood sugar levels drop below the target range. Also called HHNS, this life-threatening condition includes a blood sugar reading higher than 600 mg/dL (33.3 mmol/L). Also, know of symptoms that may mean that blood sugar levels need care right away. You need to track your blood sugar levels to keep from getting serious complications. And people might end up needing more than one modality,” Melanie Jay, a professor of medicine and population health at New York University who is also director of the NYU Langone Comprehensive Program on Obesity Research, said in an interview. Their weight and hemoglobin A1c levels, which measure blood glucose, were tracked for seven to 12 years. The smaller study analyzed data from 258 adults with type 2 diabetes who began the larger trial having either undergone bariatric surgery or received medical and lifestyle therapy. “I’m not a surgeon, but I think we need to keep in mind that surgery offers an approach which can be a durable therapy for type 2 diabetes and obesity.” Any savings on health spending because of obesity drugs may take many years and may not accrue to the Medicaid program if individuals experience shifts in coverage, so states may not be factoring long-term savings into coverage decisions. However, almost four in ten adults and a quarter of children with Medicaid have obesity, meaning expanding Medicaid coverage of these drugs could provide access to effective obesity treatments for millions. While state Medicaid programs must cover nearly all Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs, a long-standing statutory exception allows states to choose whether to cover weight-loss drugs under Medicaid. In such patients, semaglutide has been successfully administered for several years. First of all, it is approved for use in cases of type 2 diabetes. It is believed that its reduction by 15% gives diabetes patients a chance to achieve complete remission. To improve the long-term prognosis, a simultaneous decrease in blood cholesterol, normalization of blood pressure, and getting rid of excessive weight have also proven very important. Ask your insurer for the coverage criteria or medical necessity guidelines for the GLP-1 medication you want. But it’s not covered for weight loss. Medicare Part D covers these medications when prescribed for these conditions. For example, Ozempic and Mounjaro are FDA approved to treat Type 2 diabetes. Talk with your care team about all the medications you take. It works by lowering blood sugar, slowing your digestion and reducing your appetite. Semaglutide (Ozempic) is a treatment for Type 2 diabetes. The results of Phase 3 studies were presented at the American Diabetes Association meeting in summer 2021, and it showed very high efficacy for both glycemic control and weight loss. Following a diabetes treatment plan can be hard. Talk with your healthcare team before using a dietary supplement or natural treatment. Careful management of type 2 diabetes can lower the risk of serious, or even life-threatening complications. Eat a meal after your blood sugar level returns to normal. If you have symptoms of low blood sugar, drink or eat something that raises your blood sugar level quickly. Even if you aren’t taking diabetes medication, it’s important to maintain consistent eating patterns for weight management and blood sugar control. Using insulin or taking a sulfonylurea (a category of blood sugar-lowering medications) while avoiding carbs can put you at risk for low blood sugar. “Extreme diets can put you at risk, depending on which diabetes medications you’re taking or if you have other medical issues along with diabetes,” says Dunn. These medications already have transformed care for millions living with type 2 diabetes and obesity, delivering meaningful health improvements, and their use is expanding. The GLP-1 weight loss drug market is experiencing a notable shift with the rise of Direct-to-Consumer channels, which are offering these medications at significant discounts compared to traditional retail prices. They're saying it's a different drug because it's compounded to get with some vitamins or something like that, but it's unregulated. But what I do know is that people are taking the ‘generic,’ and it's not really generic; it's compounded. Usually, the insurance company would want you to have a BMI and a comorbid illness, whether it is high cholesterol, diabetes, sleep apnea, or hypertension. A BMI of 27 is overweight, BMI over 30 is obese. Doctors aren't exactly sure how the drugs work And while most people who stay on them see positive results, others don’t lose much weight at all. Their success has sparked a frenzy among pharmaceutical companies looking for the next blockbuster weight-loss drug. These drugs are now wildly popular, in shortage as a result, and hugely profitable for the companies making them. Because moderate physical activity (Lee 1999) and improved lipid levels (Law 1994) can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease independent of weight change, combined interventions can likely achieve improved health outcomes. Since persons with diabetes are at particularly high risk of cardiovascular events, the safety of sibutramine is of critical importance in this population, particularly if this drug is used in the long‐term. There are positive associations between weight loss and blood pressure, blood glucose, and serum lipid levels over a range of weight loss (Anderson 2001). Although the weight loss demonstrated in this review is small, evidence in general populations suggests that modest loss may have health benefits. Padwal 2004 recently reviewed the efficacy of long‐term pharmacotherapy for weight loss among general populations, including persons with diabetes. When you eat, your digestive system breaks carbohydrates down into simple sugars that travel through your bloodstream. Among those side effects is "Ozempic face," where skin on the face sags and wrinkles. Obesity is a complex metabolic condition that can have a negative impact on one's health and even result in mortality. “People need to understand that this carries significant risks because these products may be fake, they may be expired or they may contain unsafe or unknown ingredients,” she says. “Nutrition plays a key role in its causation and a key role in its treatment,” she says. “The studies presented at this year’s annual meeting are game-changers in the way we customize treatment for individuals with obesity and those with type 2 diabetes.” Health risks of overweight & obesity. How would authorizing Medicare to cover anti-obesity medications affect the federal budget? Adoption will also be fueled by the first-ever GLP-1 weight loss pills from both Novo and Lilly.Unfortunately, access to specialist weight management services is varied, and there are many areas across England, Wales and Scotland where these services are not set up.Known as a triple-agonist, this medication from Eli Lilly is not yet approved by the FDA but has produced powerful results in clinical trials.The trials also suggest that Wegovy pills and injectables have similar side effects.These drugs are now wildly popular, in shortage as a result, and hugely profitable for the companies making them.For example, if it is very common it can affect more than one in ten people and if very rare it affects fewer than one in 10,000 people.A weekly dose of semaglutide not only suppresses your appetite, but also delays the rate at which food leaves your stomach, helping you to feel full for longer.Since 2020, the number of prescriptions made for these drugs has more than tripled (Jain, 2023). For people living with obesity, losing more weight may further reduce their risk of heart attack or stroke. The researchers suggest that tirzepatide could be used to reduce the risk of heart and circulatory diseases that are caused by obesity by helping people lose more weight. Overall, around 6 per cent of people taking tirzepatide and 8 per cent of those taking semaglutide stopped taking the drug before the end of the study due to side effects. The head-to-head trial between tirzepatide and semaglutide aimed to find out which was more effective in people with obesity who did not have type 2 diabetes. Michael has type 2 diabetes and takes Ozempic®. Tom has type 2 diabetes and takes Ozempic®.Tom also has known heart disease. Ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults who also have heart disease Sean Hashmi, MD, is an experienced nephrologist and obesity medicine specialist based in Southern California. “People who have a history or family history of a rare thyroid cancer (medullary thyroid carcinoma) should not use this medication,” says Gudzune. “Obesity is a complex condition — so many factors contribute to its occurrence (and reoccurrence) over time, and these factors are not the same for all people,” says Gudzune. “People should always pursue a healthy diet for their overall cardiometabolic health and for adequate nutritional status,” says Dr. Kumar. Josh Archote covers community health for the San Antonio Report. We’ll investigate how these drugs work, their possible side effects, and who they may be right for. There are a wide range of medications that can help treat type 2 diabetes. Statins are very common drugs that can help you reduce your LDL levels. Lowering your cholesterol shouldn’t focus only on taking medications but in changing some things about your lifestyle, too. Since their arrival on the market, statins have been among the most prescribed drugs in the U.S., with up to 92 million users. Use of other weight loss medications, such as phentermine and liraglutide, declined. The use of medications previously common in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, including metformin, sulfonylureas, and insulin, decreased. It was found that the drugs can help improve cognitive function, including memory and concentration, which is especially important for patients at risk of developing dementia. Specialists recommend the use of these drugs for weight loss as a supportive measure in combination with other measures related to lifestyle correction (motor activity, adequate nutrition, etc.). About a quarter of respondents reported having insurance but paying the whole cost of the medication out of pocket. According to polling by KFF, 1 in 5 adults reported having ever taken a GLP-1 agonist, including 12% who are currently taking the medication. “A lot of patients come in the office and think, ‘I need to lose 30 or 40 pounds, and then I can get to a place where I can exercise without pain, and I can be more mindful about my diet. “‘I’ve been trying to put you on Ozempic for four years, but it took Elon Musk and Kim Kardashian to convince you,’” Chavez-Velazquez said with a laugh, mimicking conversations he’s had with patients over the last few years. Obesity drug coverage in Medicaid remains limited, with 13 state Medicaid programs covering GLP-1s for obesity treatment under FFS as of January 2026 (Figure 1).GLP-1s are approved to treat adults with Type 2 diabetes or obesity, or who are overweight with at least one weight-related health condition, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension or high cholesterol.Another form of semaglutide is available in a pill that's taken by mouth once a day.The GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs you're referring to lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes and powerfully reduce weight in people with obesity.The new model will include standardized coverage criteria as well as lifestyle supports and is voluntary for state Medicaid programs, Medicare Part D plans, and manufacturers.Study the pros and cons of medicines to treat obesity. Although pharmacotherapy has been used in nondiabetic populations for treatment lasting longer than one year (Hauner 1999), further research is needed with long‐term follow‐up of large populations with diabetes. Since this review was confined to populations with diabetes, we were not able to present a lot of information on adverse effects. Therefore the efficacy of these drugs as delivered in a real‐world setting, will likely be less than that noted in these studies. Participants who took orlistat noted a high incidence of minor gastrointestinal side effects, as would be expected from the drug's mechanism. It is not intended for mildly overweight individuals who are simply looking to lose a few pounds. “The shortage has required us to lower dosing or switch to another medication in the same class,” Dr. Freeby says. Dr. Freeby says he receives several e-mails a week from patients unable to fill their prescriptions. Consumer demand has occasionally created critical shortages of semaglutide. Recent headlines have heralded the weight-loss medications Ozempic and Wegovy as representing the end of obesity as we know it. Because these drugs are relatively new in the field of weight management, their long-term effects on non-diabetic users remain uncertain. Many individuals who have struggled with traditional weight loss methods see these drugs as a convenient alternative. However, hypos are more common when you take this drug with other diabetes medications such as insulin or a sulphonylurea. You might be eligible for this medication if you have a Body Mass Index, or BMI for short, of 30kg/m2 and over, and at least one weight-related health condition, such as prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. In addition, there are a number of genetic disorders in which the drug should not be given. Among other side effects, although very rare, the possibility of pancreatic inflammation has been reported. Immediately after the start of its use or as the dosage increases during treatment, gastrointestinal problems up to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea may occur. Taken together, semaglutide injections make a person eat less because they have less need for food. In addition, semaglutide also affects the brain's satiety center. Both conditions require other treatment strategies, like lifestyle and dietary changes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first GLP-1 agonist (exenatide) in 2005. Areas of your body you can give the injections include your belly, outer thighs, upper buttocks and the backs of your arms. Some GLP-1 agonists can also help treat obesity. Your healthcare provider can help you decide if they’re right for you. GLP-1 medications have transformed obesity and weight management care in the U.S. and in San Antonio. A meta-analysis of 160,000 patients examined whether certain glucose-lowering drugs, known for their heart-protective benefits, could also reduce the risk of dementia or cognitive decline. Guo’s study looked at electronic health records from patients in Florida from January 2014 to June 2023 and focused on people aged 50 or older with Type 2 diabetes and no prior diagnosis of dementia. Other studies have shown that GLP-1 drugs can also offer benefits for cardiovascular health, help protect against kidney disease, and now, potentially reduce the risk of dementia. SGLT2 inhibitors are a class of medications that help lower blood sugar by preventing the kidneys from reabsorbing glucose, allowing it to be excreted in urine. In the press, it seems that there are a good number of people taking GLP-1s who are not medically obese. More research is needed to develop strategies that may help people maintain their lost weight. Be sure to also review the FDA prescribing information for warnings, drug interactions, or other special precautions before recommending a specific medication. “We wanted to provide an actionable roadmap to primary care physicians for how they can help their patients and integrate obesity care into their clinical practice,” said Dr. S. Yanovski. Can’t Fill Your Zepbound Prescription? Here Are 5 Zepbound Alternatives to Consider “It is still important for patients taking GLP-1 medication to limit muscle wasting through exercise and high quality protein.” Lean muscle mass is the weight of the body that is not fat — including muscles, bones, organs and more. Skeletal muscle is the body’s largest site for glucose uptake and a key player in metabolic health. Rybelsus has been shown to help patients lose around 8 pounds in 6 months. It contains semaglutide, which is the same active ingredient in Ozempic. Rybelsus is the first and only GLP-1 pill approved by the FDA. Clinical trials showed that Mounjaro helped patients lose, on average, 41 pounds in 72 weeks. Now, there is a percentage of patients who are addicted. And this is really a better tolerated, more effective drug than we've ever had. I don't know yet how this will work out on the medical versus surgical end. So as soon as you lose some weight and see you’re not losing weight anymore, a large percentage stop taking it. We know that adherence to a medical regimen is not great. The pill version may also be more appealing to people who do not have reliable access to refrigeration, such as frequent travelers, she said. "Oral and injectable Wegovy have very similar, predominantly gastrointestinal side effects," Anekwe said. The trials also suggest that Wegovy pills and injectables have similar side effects. Prediabetes happens when blood sugar levels are higher than normal. Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of diseases that affect how the body uses blood sugar (glucose). For example, if you treat your diabetes with insulin or any other diabetes medication that puts you at risk of hypos, following a low-carb diet may increase this risk. How should this medicine be used? She currently works as a Consulting Diabetologist and Program Consultant for Type 2 diabetes members at Fitterfly. They carefully examine all references and facts to provide up-to-date and reliable information, aiming to break myths and empower you in your health journey. And it may help you burn calories while your body is at rest. To take the drug, you'll need to have test results that show you have one of these conditions. You take it as a weekly shot to manage obesity. Researchers analyzed health records for more than 18,000 patients with obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m2); who had health insurance covering anti-obesity medications semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide; and who had received care at a Johns Hopkins outpatient clinic from January 2023 to September 2023. “The indications for prescribing two classes of medications, SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists—originally designed and approved for the treatment of people with Type 2 diabetes—have now been extended to people living with obesity, heart failure and chronic kidney disease. The new data also shows the potential long-term health benefits of taking a buzzy class of obesity and diabetes medications called GLP-1s, which mimic hormones produced in the gut to tamp down appetite and regulate blood sugar. The benefits are comparable or superior to the benefits of GLP-1 drugs, including dramatic weight loss and secondary long-term health benefits, such as improved blood sugar levels. GLP-1 drugs can also create a risk of hypoglycemia, or dangerously low blood sugar, in people who use certain type 2 diabetes drugs, chiefly insulin and sulfonylureas. Speak to a dietitian or your diabetes healthcare team if you have questions about your individual dietary needs. We translate nutrition science in engaging and actionable ways, working extensively with people in academia, health care, education, communications and the food system, for public benefit. We hope that with further published data, including studies from the real-life setting, this temporary access to effective medications may change. However, this is subject to continued long-term evaluation of the safety and effectiveness of these new medications. Over the years, she has had chronicled nascent scientific discoveries from their inception to Food and Drug Administration approval and routine clinical use — documenting the wonder and long arc of medical research. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. This amylin drug from Eli Lilly is injected once a week. This drug from Novo Nordisk also mimics both GLP-1 and amylin, and is being tested as a daily pill and a weekly injection. The once-weekly injection from Novo Nordisk combines cagrilintide, an amylin analog, with semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy. Of those who lose weight, most regain some or all the weight over time. Encourage your patients to start small, and then increase over time. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (PDF, 14.5 MB) recommends getting 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, such as brisk walking, per week. When providing nutrition counseling, tailor recommendations to your patient’s preferences, overall health status, specific nutrition needs, and whether they have other health conditions. Lifestyle changes—such as improving eating patterns and physical activity levels—are an essential part of weight management. Lilly’s Orforglipron, a New Oral Drug, Shows Promise for Type 2 Diabetes and Weight Loss in Late-Stage Trials But so far, metformin's weight-loss effects haven't been consistent enough for it to be considered a weight-loss drug. In a long-term study involving over 3,000 people, the average weight loss for participants who took metformin was 5.5 pounds. The FDA has approved Wegovy and Zepbound for treating weight loss. The FDA hasn't approved metformin for weight loss. Continuous glucose monitoring is an electronic system that records blood sugar levels every few minutes from a sensor put under the skin. If you take insulin, you may need to check your blood sugar several times a day. This is to make sure that your blood sugar stays in the target range. For people with type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesity, weight loss may help them manage their diabetes and improve health outcomes. Along with lifestyle changes, weight-loss medications may help some people with type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesity manage their weight. We’re still waiting for more data from studies of these other medications; they are not yet approved for diabetes or obesity treatment. When clinicians are adding medications to metformin to improve glycemic control in patients with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes, they may want to consider either an SGLT2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist. In the research trials, people with diabetes who received semaglutide with behavioral treatment had somewhat less weight loss than people without diabetes. There are important considerations including public health policies and whole systems approaches needed to improve the food environment, cost of (and accessibility to) healthy foods and reduction in health inequity. It should be noted that GLP-1 RA and GLP/GIP RA are not the solution to address the high and increasing prevalence of obesity. Our position statements set out our views on an important area in nutrition and may provide guidance to researchers, regulatory agencies and policy makers, health professionals, the food industry and the media. Novo Nordisk today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved once-daily Wegovy® pill, the first oral GLP-1 medicine for... With a US presence spanning 40 years, Novo Nordisk US is headquartered in New Jersey and employs over 10,000 people throughout the country across 12 manufacturing, R&D and corporate locations in eight states plus Washington DC. You will be given the Medication Guide when you begin treatment with semaglutide injection and each time you refill your prescription. Your doctor may order certain tests to check your body's response to semaglutide injection. It is not known if this medication increases the risk of tumors in humans. Obesity drug coverage in Medicaid remains limited, with 13 state Medicaid programs covering GLP-1s for obesity treatment under FFS as of January 2026 (Figure 1). Unless Medicaid covers obesity medications, enrollees are unlikely to have access to them given the high out-of-pocket cost even at lower prices. Further, the recent announcements will not impact costs for Medicaid enrollees as they already pay little or no copays for prescription drugs, and the costs of purchasing drugs directly from manufacturers through TrumpRx will likely still be prohibitive for people on Medicaid who must have a low income to qualify for the program. While lower prices for state Medicaid programs could help alleviate cost concerns for states and result in expanded coverage of obesity drugs, how the new lower costs compare to the net prices state Medicaid programs currently pay and how states will respond amid tightening budget conditions remain unclear. At the federal level, the Trump administration decided not to proceed with a Biden administration proposal to allow Medicare and require Medicaid to cover obesity drugs but recently launched their own obesity drug coverage initiatives to reduce costs and increase access (see Box 1). If you have Type 2 diabetes, the medications help manage your blood sugar by triggering your pancreas to release more insulin. GLP-1 drugs are powerful medications that may not be appropriate for everybody. It’s important to emphasize that GLP-1 weight loss drugs are meant to be used in tandem with regular exercise and a healthy diet. Halpern 2003 published data only Ozempic (semaglutide) patients lost 8% after one year. Patients on Mounjaro (tirzepatide) lost the most weight and faster, reducing body weight by 15% after one year. Your provider will also prescribe healthy lifestyle changes to be used with the medication. In addition to treating Type 2 diabetes, the 2022 joint guideline from the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association and the Heart Failure Society of America recommends SGLT2i therapy as a treatment option for people with heart failure, regardless of Type 2 diabetes status. A second study examined pharmacy dispensing patterns by race and ethnicity of patients in an attempt to better understand use of the SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonist medications. The study’s limitations included that it was a study with patients receiving care in only one hospital/health system, which might mean the results may not be the same in individuals seen at other medical facilities or hospital systems. “These results have important implications for obesity management and for advancing cardiometabolic health equity,” said lead study author Meron Haile, B.S., a second-year medical student at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. This is to ensure Mounjaro is the right medication for you and that it is safe. It is important that your prescriber completes the same assessment that an NHS healthcare team would carry out. Although Mounjaro is given via injection, it is a different medication to insulin. Your healthcare team will give you more information about how to take it, and how to inject. Speak to your healthcare professional for advice before taking Mounjaro if you are breastfeeding or planning a pregnancy. But semaglutide isn’t simply a tool that suppresses appetite, Dr. Butsch clarifies. Using a medication “off-label” means it’s prescribed for a use other than its stated purpose. Ozempic is the same medication as Wegovy, which the U.S. Side Effects of Semaglutide for Type 2 Diabetes (Ozempic) and Weight Loss (Wegovy) In such patients, semaglutide has been successfully administered for several years.Glucose in the bloodstream passes through the kidneys where it can either be excreted in the urine or reabsorbed back into the blood.The smaller study analyzed data from 258 adults with type 2 diabetes who began the larger trial having either undergone bariatric surgery or received medical and lifestyle therapy.Known as incretin mimetics, they also improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels.Use a different body area each time you give yourself a shot.She expects retatrutide to become available on the market in 2027, but some online companies have been selling what they claim is the medication, prompting warning letters from the FDA.Brown and colleagues reviewed the effectiveness of weight‐loss interventions in persons with diabetes (Brown 1996), and noted that dietary interventions produced a weight loss of 9 kg and behavioral programs 3 kg, but few studies examined outcomes beyond six months. Medicare is also prohibited by law from covering prescription medications taken solely for weight loss. Medicare plans are prohibited by law from covering prescription medications taken solely for weight loss. Coverage for obesity care and weight-loss medications varies widely among insurance plans. —Ozempic-style drugs tied to more than 60 health benefits and risks in biggest study-of-its-kind But for both forms of the drug, a minority of patients — around 7% to 10% — stop taking the medication because of these effects, according to trial data. They exposed human retinal cells to high sugar and oxidative stress, then treated some with semaglutide. Diabetic retinopathy remains one of the most common and consequential complications of diabetes, not because it is dramatic in onset but because it is quietly cumulative – retinal microvasculature does not fail overnight, it frays. Talk with your patient about their personal preferences as well as any barriers to taking the medication, such as access and cost. This class of medicines may also have a positive effect on other obesity-related conditions, such as heart disease, kidney disease, and sleep apnea. Sustainable weight loss requires a holistic approach, including diet, exercise, and lifestyle modifications, rather than solely relying on medication. If you’re considering these drugs, consult with a healthcare professional to assess whether they are a safe and appropriate option for you. While these medications offer significant benefits, they also come with serious risks, ethical dilemmas, and accessibility concerns. Naltrexone-bupropion sustained-release (SR), which is FDA-approved under the brand name Contrave, is a combination of naltrexone and bupropion in a sustained-release formulation that works in multiple ways to decrease food intake and weight. This medication should be avoided in patients with history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or pancreatitis. In the authors’ experience, when nausea or other side effects are limiting, this titration can be further slowed for as long as necessary, and, in some cases, lower doses can be used indefinitely, as long as patients are experiencing benefit. Phase 3 trials with 1-year duration confirmed this, showing that weight loss with liraglutide 3.0 mg continued through at least 1 year, with average weight loss at 56 weeks approaching 10 kg (11). They have become popular through telehealth companies, which prescribe and sell them at much lower prices than the brand versions. AARP’s Medicare experts share tips and updates to help manage your health care costs. As a team, you and your provider can create the right weight-loss plan for you. They generally lessen over time and with proper use of the drug. The active ingredient in Alli, orlistat, causes digestive side effects related to undigested fats passing through your digestive system. About Novo Nordisk Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company that's been making innovative medicines to help people with diabetes lead longer, healthier lives for more than 100 years. Wegovy® (semaglutide) injection 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg is used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity to help children 12 years and older with obesity to lose weight and keep the weight off Wegovy® pill is also indicated to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) such as death, heart attack, or stroke in adults with overweight or obesity and established cardiovascular disease.3 About Wegovy® pill Wegovy® pill is the first oral GLP-1 medicine for obesity in the US, and is used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity for adults with obesity, or with overweight who also have weight-related medical problems, to help them lose weight and keep it off. Novo Nordisk continues to pursue innovative delivery models and strategic collaborations to meet people where they are, reaching more patients in more ways. Most people who take statin drugs tolerate them very well. Statins are a class of drugs often prescribed by doctors to help lower cholesterol levels in the blood, which can help prevent heart attacks and strokes. Statins are a class of drugs often prescribed by doctors to help lower cholesterol levels in the blood. In some people, obesity can be traced to a medical cause, such as hypothyroidism, Cushing syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome and other conditions. Before starting a GLP-1 medication, it helps to learn about your insurance coverage and requirements. This could help them qualify for GLP-1 medication coverage. Obesity contributes to 30% to 53% of new Type 2 diabetes cases every year. People considered overweight or obese have a higher chance of developing many conditions. But Zepbound and Mounjaro belong to a different medication class. The study provided a comprehensive overview of evidence on GLP-1 RA use in the treatment of substance use disorders. A pilot study reported that a combination of exenatide and nicotine replacement therapy improved smoking abstinence rates, reduced withdrawal symptoms, and alleviated post-cessation weight gain. Further, liraglutide treatment led to a significant reduction in alcohol consumption in rodents with high baseline alcohol intake. And if you’re on a fixed insulin dose, you may need to eat carbohydrates more consistently to avoid drops in blood sugar. It’s a well-rounded, healthy nutrition plan for everyone, not just those with diabetes. But people with Type 1 diabetes can’t make insulin and need to take an injectable version. It’s also a major obstacle to achieving long-term blood sugar control. Are you trying to lose weight while managing diabetes? Ideally, an analysis of individual patient data should be performed to examine relationships between weight loss and patient‐level characteristics such as age and initial weight. Several years ago, Blackburn 1987 suggested an incremental approach with repeated goal‐setting for small amounts of weight loss; perhaps intermittent pharmacotherapy could be used with this approach. More data are needed on health outcomes such as cardiovascular events, in addition to risk factors. They ate less than their peers and lost about 2 grams of body weight during the nine-day experiment. Metformin was an obvious candidate because as it stimulates the breakdown of glucose (thus reducing blood sugar levels) it can trigger the generation of lactate. Beyond the current shortage, part of the future of these medications depends on what insurance companies are willing to cover. "Anti-fatness breaks our heart – your drugs actually alter our hearts," she said. The deeply rooted biases against bigger bodies and the constant pressure to be thin puts people in a hard position between trying to lose weight with new tools or choosing to stay as they are, Osborn said. "There is some concern from health experts related to that." Khan notes that he and his colleagues are seeing signs during endoscopies that Ozempic and Wegovy may slow the passage of food through the digestive system. Khan says he has seen patients' insulin requirements drop by half by taking these relatively new meds. Through advocacy, program development, and education we aim to improve the quality of life for the over 136 million Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes. The most common side effects were nausea, diarrhea, constipation and vomiting. Wegovy mimics one gut hormone the body produces after eating, GLP-1; and Zepbound mimics two, GLP-1 and GIP. The most common side effects were nausea and fatigue. The Peterson Center on Healthcare and KFF are partnering to monitor how well the U.S. healthcare system is performing in terms of quality and cost. The U.S. has by far the highest rate of obesity among peer nations—a third of adults (33.6%) have obesity in the U.S. compared to an average of 17.1% across peer nations. Private insurers and employers in the U.S. may be able to negotiate lower prices with drug manufacturers or get larger rebates. A one-month supply of the oral tablet form of semaglutide, Rybelsus, is priced similarly to Ozempic at $936 in the U.S., which is over 4 times as much as the price in the Netherlands ($203). Semaglutide drug prices are typically much lower in other large, wealthy countries than found in the U.S. Early evidence suggests that it may cause uterine contractions and miscarriage, and increase the risk of brain damage and other issues in offspring. Research is limited on the effects of taking berberine while pregnant. Talk to your doctor before starting a new supplement program to make sure it's suitable for your specific needs and health status. A recent study found that berberine could have a positive effect on people with kidney problems. The drug is intended for people who are overweight (a body mass index greater than 27) with one or more obesity-related medical conditions or people with a BMI of 30 or greater. But the medications also help with weight loss, which has made them attractive to people who don’t have diabetes. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are a class of drugs that help reduce blood sugar and have been used in Type 2 diabetes treatment programs. Studies have also shown that many people taking the drug lose some weight. Research shows that it helps with blood sugar control by helping the body use its own insulin better. Given the recency of FDA approval and the rapid speed at which these drugs are penetrating the market, research on their use and their side effects at the population level is in its infancy. "Our data supports oral semaglutide at a dose of 25 mg as an efficacious treatment option for obesity," write the researchers. The findings back up an earlier trial that found semaglutide taken orally to be effective for weight loss. The use of diabetes drugs for weight loss is a rising trend fueled by their effectiveness and media hype. Is using diabetes drugs for weight loss truly beneficial, or does it pose more harm than good? These drugs were initially designed to regulate blood sugar levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Beyond diabetes and weight loss, researchers are exploring other potential benefits of GLP-1 drugs. GLP-1 agonists are a class of medications that are prescribed to manage blood sugar for those with type 2 diabetes and to treat obesity. Among people who use the drugs for diabetes and obesity, evidence suggests the drugs reduce the risks of kidney disease progression, heart attack, death from heart disease, death from COVID-19, and death from all causes by 15% to 35%! Semaglutide medications can also cause gastrointestinal side effects and can increase your risk of thyroid C-cell tumors, pancreatitis, and low blood sugar.6-8 Studies show patients experience significant weight loss on the drug, but it’s only approved for diabetes, so far. Despite this, existing treatment options have demonstrated limited effectiveness.“Addressing the twin epidemics of obesity and diabetes is critical to slowing the trajectory of this ongoing public health crisis. This comes at a time when more than 37 million Americans live with diabetes, and nearly 90% of people with diabetes are overweight or have obesity. If you don’t qualify for a GLP-1 medication for weight loss, you might qualify for the same or a similar medication for another FDA-approved condition. Medicare doesn’t cover medications prescribed for weight loss. That means many people seeking weight-loss treatment may have a related health condition. Semaglutide also is used to help control type 2 diabetes. Topiramate increases the risk of birth defects. Phentermine has the potential to be misused because it acts like a stimulant drug called an amphetamine. But researchers haven't found that the drug causes liver injuries. How does Ozempic work? Understanding GLP-1s for diabetes, weight loss, and beyond In addition, the study was only able to evaluate prescription data, without access to information about whether the prescriptions were filled and picked up; and the study authors were unable to assess factors like co-pays/out-of-pocket costs, which may impact the use of these medications. “While prescription rates for new obesity therapies are low among the overall population, we saw pronounced lower accessibility among Black adults, who exhibit a higher burden of severe obesity, hypertension and Type 2 diabetes. Still, Ricks noted that patients don't "snap all the way back as if they were never on the drug." But those participants still had an 88% lower risk of developing diabetes compared with a placebo, according to the latest phase three results. Some diabetes medicines help lower the amount of sugar your liver makes. Weight is influenced by various mechanisms that happen inside our body, including metabolism, appetite regulation, and insulin function. One day, he noticed something surprising – he was losing weight without changing his diet or exercise routine. If not, check the website of the pharmaceutical company that makes your diabetes drug, since many companies have patient support programs. If you are taking a different medication and having trouble losing weight, ask your doctor if one of these might be right for you. These drugs — liraglutide and empagliflozin — are also beneficial to the heart. It also helped study participants lose two to three times as much weight as those in the comparison group. The incidence of adverse events must be carefully monitored over the long term in diabetic populations, which already have multiple risk factors for major cardiovascular and neurologic events. There is some evidence that adding a lifestyle intervention improved treatment with pharmacotherapy in general obese populations (Craighead 1981; Wadden 2001a). The populations in the studies reviewed were generally self‐ or researcher‐selected, and often noncompliant patients were excluded from analyses. Obesity was defined as an ICD-9-CM or ICD-10-CM diagnostic code of obesity or a calculated BMI ≥30 kg/m2. Baseline demographic and clinical variables were measured during the 52 weeks prior to the first GLP1-a dispense date and extracted from the electronic health record portion of the dataset. When there was more than one weight measurement in a given 8-week interval, we randomly selected a weight measurement for that window. Non-pregnant adults (aged 18 years and older) who were first dispensed a GLP-1 agonist (liraglutide, dulaglutide, exenatide ER, semaglutide, exenatide, and albiglutide) between 2011 and 2018 were eligible (see Table S1). Extended-release medications should never be chewed, cut, or broken up in any way. Make sure your doctor knows about all the medications you take. Metformin can be a helpful drug for many people, but not everyone should take it. Weight management hasn’t been a huge part of my diabetes treatment, but i did notice that metformin decreased my appetite. Wegovy® pill is only approved in the US and will be available in 1.5 mg (starter dose), 4 mg, 9 mg, and 25 mg.3 For updates and information about the Wegovy® pill, please visit Commercially insured patients pay as little as $25/month with the Wegovy® savings offer.† Self-pay patients can start at around $5/day ($149/month) for the starting dose of 1.5 mg. Wegovy® pill is available to all eligible patients with multiple affordability options. Last year, the FDA approved another diabetes drug, tirzepatide, that combines two hormonal agonists. Proper use of diabetes medications may continue to be an issue in the future, Dr. Freeby notes. “I do prescribe semaglutide for some of my weight-loss patients, under specific circumstances,” Dr. Li says. The most common AEs are headache, dizziness, fatigue, nausea, dry mouth, and constipation, although these are relatively uncommon and rarely lead to treatment discontinuation.Experts, including Dunn, advise adopting a healthy behavior you can live with, and add more changes when you can.Significant weight loss was seen in a small number of studies examining mazindol, phenmetrazine, and phentermine.It is widely considered a first-line medication for type 2 diabetes and for diabetes prevention (42).Although the magnitude of weight loss reported in our observational study is not as impressive as what is described in the weight-loss specific GLP-1 agonist trials (e.g. 9.6% for semaglutide 2.4mg in STEP 2), our results are similar in magnitude to the results seen among participants of diabetes trials testing GLP-1 agonist at standard dosages for HbA1c reduction.Your doctor and other healthcare providers will talk to you about the best way to manage your diabetes.Now, they are reshaping the landscape of obesity treatment and metabolic health with impacts that go far beyond the scale.According to reinsurance firm Gallagher Re, GLP-1 drugs alone could add 1% to 2% to annual medical spend in the US in the short term, but “their potential to reduce the burden of chronic diseases could lead to significant long-term savings”.6 Phentermine-topiramate is a combination of a weight-loss drug called phentermine and an anticonvulsant called topiramate. So your provider will need to check your blood pressure regularly at the start of treatment. They may switch you to a different weight-loss drug. The medical term for that condition is hypoglycemia. More common side effects often improve after taking the medicine for a while. GLP-1 agonists mimic the way a hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1 works in the body. Another form of semaglutide is available in a pill that's taken by mouth once a day. GLP-1 agonists for type 2 diabetes are generally taken by a shot, also called an injection. If you will be using semaglutide at home, your doctor will teach you how the injections will be given. Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of semaglutide injection in the elderly. Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of Ozempic® in the pediatric population. Semaglutide injection is used to treat type 2 diabetes. If you have questions about this medicine, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or health care provider. If the needle is left on, medication may leak from the pen. You may report side effects to FDA at FDA-1088. This list may not describe all possible side effects. In 2021, the Food and Drug Administration approved it for weight loss — marketed under the brand name Wegovy. Type 2 diabetes involves dysfunction in the way the body uses sugar, often resulting in too much sugar in the blood and subsequent damage to a number of organs and tissues. Nationwide, patients with diabetes are routinely reporting difficulty filling their prescriptions for semaglutide. “Many of our patients are seeing benefits from these drugs,” says Matthew Freeby, MD, director of the Gonda Diabetes Center at UCLA. For people with type 2 diabetes to be able to achieve these improvements in health in around half the time is pretty incredible,” concluded Dr Viljoen. It may also cause some drugs not to work as well due to its effects on the liver. Berberine’s effects on blood clotting and blood sugar levels in particular may impact the success of surgery and make recovery take longer. A study on mice found that while berberine was better at reducing high cholesterol and obesity, metformin was better at controlling blood sugar levels. For patients who do not lose ≥5% of initial body weight after 12 weeks, the medication is generally discontinued because there is a low likelihood of further weight loss (29). Treatment with lorcaserin leads to a 7–8% body weight loss, on average, in patients completing 1 year of treatment (25). As opposed to earlier serotonin agonists that were used off label for weight loss, lorcaserin primarily stimulates the 2c subtype rather than other serotonin receptors in the brain and body, thereby leading to fewer AEs and risks of treatment (24). Finally, asymptomatic hypoglycemia is common, although symptomatic or severe hypoglycemia has been found to occur only in patients with diabetes taking concomitant medications such as sulfonylureas that increase the risk of hypoglycemia. During the pivotal trials, 77.2% of patients were responders (≥4% weight loss during the initial 16 weeks), and this group lost 10.8% of their baseline body weight at the end of 1 year of treatment, compared with just 3% weight loss for nonresponders. Ozempic is the name-brand version of weekly injectable semaglutide that is FDA-approved for diabetes treatment, while Wegovy is the same injectable approved for obesity treatment. Other effects of these medications often lead to weight loss. By helping to regulate blood sugar, these medications support the management of Type 2 diabetes. It requires lifelong treatment that’s not one size fits all.” Now that we’ve shown that hormone-based therapies can be so effective, I think it’s changed the world’s perspective that it’s not a losing battle to treat obesity.” “Previously, weight-loss therapies weren’t very effective. Amylin seems to reduce the amount of food people eat by signaling a sense of fullness to the brain. It’s working on an investigational drug dubbed retatrutide that targets the receptors for GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon, the latter of which can help break down fat stores.