Top RI Doctor Says Ozempic and Other GLP-1s May Be Game Changers
Top RI Doctor Says Ozempic and Other GLP-1s May Be Game Changers
They are sold under brand names like Ozempic, but the generic name is semaglutide.
“Questions about weight loss are one of the most common things I hear as a primary care doctor. In more than half of my visits, people come in, and they talk about wanting to lose weight, especially with the new year. It's been more common lately, and I'm reminded, of course, that over two in five adults are actually overweight or obese, so it's a huge public health problem, and I'm very excited about these new drugs,” said Dr. Chan.
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“I have seen amazing results in my patients; I mean, it's typical for a person to lose 15 to 20 pounds plus of their weight on these medications. So what are these medications? They're called GLP-1 agonists. They basically mimic a hormone in your body that allows you to increase the glucose in your blood right the sugar the food that you eat, so it also increases your ability to feel full, resulting in weight loss,” said Dr. Chan.
Dr. Chan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine and School of Public Health at Brown University. He has over a decade of experience working in public health and clinical research including as a consultant for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) where he has assisted in writing national guidelines.
Lifestyle Changes
Dr. Chan warned that not everyone achieves the same results and that for long-term positive impact, the drugs really need to be incorporated into a healthier lifestyle.
“About 25% of folks that walk into my office as a primary care physician, I feel like I've prescribed these medications to with variable success, and that's one thing I think for folks to recognize is that not every drug works for every patient and that the individual responses really do vary widely,” said Dr. Chan.
He added, "So that being said, I have seen pretty dramatic results in some people, especially those who have been at heavier weight. I do want to mention, of course, that these medications are really, really good and effective, but they need to be done as part of a good old-fashioned diet and exercise, and let's not forget about that these medications are effective, but I also don't want to lose sight - I tell people that they really have to do this as part of an approach a part of a lifestyle change which also of course includes diet nutrition and exercise.”
Downsides
“On the downside, so, as with many medications, the side effects really vary. I will say for these medications the one thing that I have seen in a in a not insignificant number of people maybe 5 to 10% are really pretty significant stomach stuff GI,” said Dr. Chan. “Stuff things like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, potentially some bloating, stomach pain, and I have had one or two people, out of a lot of people, but one or two people say that this is the worst that they've ever felt in terms of stomach stuff, so some of these side effects are real.”
Other Applications
Beyond treating weight loss and diabetes, GLP-1s have been approved for the treatment of kidney disease.
The WSJ reports, “Novo Nordisk said the European Union’s drug regulator supports a label expansion of its Ozempic diabetes drug to reflect its potential to lower the risk of conditions related to kidney disease in adults with Type 2 diabetes. The European Medicines Agency’s backing comes after a trial earlier this year showed that Ozempic slows the progression of chronic kidney disease and cuts the risk of kidney failure, heart attack, stroke, and death in patients with Type 2 diabetes. Data from the study showed the drug cuts the risk of kidney disease-related events in diabetic patients by 24%."
And the drugs may have benefits for reducing alcohol cravings.
“These medications are still relatively new, and it's one of one of my wise old mentors used to say, ‘you never want to be the first person to do something or the last person,’ and there's always a balance when understanding these drugs,” said Dr. Chan. “So the best thing to do, of course, is diet and exercise. We're still learning about these medications. They can affect the pancreas. They can potentially affect the thyroid in a very rare number of cases.”
Dr. Chan currently serves as a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA). In addition, Dr. Chan is a practicing primary care physician in the Rhode Island community.
Editor's Note: an earlier version said some patients lose 15 to 20%, it now reads 15 to 20 pounds.