Semaglutide
Prescription Weight Loss Injections
Semaglutide is an FDA-approved weight loss injection. By mimicking a hormone in the body, Semaglutide increases insulin secretion while slowing down how fast your stomach empties food. This suppresses your appetite, so you feel full longer, helping you eat less and lose weight. The drug was initially approved in 2017 at a lower dose to help control blood sugar in Type 2 diabetes. People taking Semaglutide for blood sugar control lose weight as an additional benefit. After studying a higher amount of the medication in people without Type 2 diabetes, the FDA approved Semaglutide for weight loss in qualified adults.
How does Semaglutide work for weight loss?
Semaglutide mimics a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (or GLP-1) that targets areas in the brain that regulate appetite and food intake. Your digestive tract releases this incretin hormone after you’ve eaten a meal, lowering your blood sugar by triggering insulin release to block sugar production. Doing so helps you eat less and lose one to two pounds per week. And while a reduced-calorie meal plan increases the rate at which you lose and keep off weight, dieting is not required to lose weight on Semaglutide.
Am I a candidate for Semaglutide weight loss injections?
To determine whether you are a good candidate for weight loss with Semaglutide injections, Vanessa McConnell, APRN, DNP, FNP-C, will assess the extent of your being overweight. Adults can use Semaglutide with a body mass index (or BMI) greater than or equal to 30. Alternatively, you may be a candidate for Semaglutide weight loss if your BMI is 27 and you have at least one of the following weight-related conditions:
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
Semaglutide should be combined with lifestyle changes, including a healthy diet and exercise. Monthly visits are required in participation of this structured weight management program.
MUST NOT be planning to become pregnant or currently pregnant, breastfeeding, have a history of diabetes, currently taking a medication for diabetes, no personal or family history of thyroid or pancreatic cancer or multiple endocrine hyperplasia.
What are the benefits of Semaglutide weight loss injections?
Semaglutide is the first of its kind as a safe and highly effective hormone-based weight loss medication. Some of the health benefits associated with Semaglutide include the following:
- Lower blood sugar without any increase in hypoglycemia
- Reduced body weight, lipids, blood pressure, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress
- Suppressed appetite
- Enhanced insulin synthesis and secretion
- Reduced glucagon levels in fasting and after eating
- A promoted sensation of fullness in the brain
- Slowed gastric emptying in the intestines to help you feel fuller for longer
- Weight loss
- More significant improvement in cardiovascular risk factors associated with obesity
In clinical trials, Semaglutide helped most recipients lose 10% of their body weight. More than half of them reduced their weight by 15%, the amount that most healthcare professionals say can help reduce the risk for future chronic illnesses.
Treatment Benefits
Semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, has shown to be highly effective in reducing body weight by suppressing appetite and increasing satiety. Studies have shown that it can help people lose up to 15% of their body weight.
In addition to promoting weight loss, semaglutide has also been found to improve other health markers such as reducing blood pressure, decreasing waist circumference, and improving cholesterol levels. This makes it an ideal option for those looking to improve their overall health along with losing weight.
Semaglutide has been shown to have long-term benefits for weight loss, even after the treatment period is over. This means that the weight lost during semaglutide treatment is more likely to be maintained compared to other weight loss medications.
Semaglutide has been approved by the FDA for use in individuals who are overweight or obese and have at least one weight-related condition such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure. This makes it a suitable option for those with obesity-related disorders who have struggled with weight loss through traditional methods.
Frequently Asked Questions
Semaglutide is taken once weekly via subcutaneous injection.
Some common side effects include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. In rare cases, more serious side effects such as pancreatitis have been reported.
It is important to consult with a healthcare professional before taking any other weight loss medications while on semaglutide as they may interact with each other.
The amount of weight lost will vary depending on the individual's starting weight and lifestyle factors, but studies have shown an average weight loss of 15% of body weight over a 68-week period. It is important to note that results may vary and individual results cannot be guaranteed.
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