Popular celebrity weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic could have serious side effects, according to researchers in China.
In a study to be published in the monthly journal Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, researchers say there is an “increased risk” of bowel obstruction when taking these drugs.
The drugs consist of the peptide semaglutide, a derivative of GLP-1, a hormone made in the small intestine.
It’s the hormone that semaglutide mimics, and it keeps you fuller for longer by slowing down digestion, which leads to weight loss.
Although this drug may be helpful in treating conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes by lowering a person’s glucose levels and promoting weight loss, concerns have been raised about a possible unwanted side effect.
New research from China suggests the weight loss drugs could have a potentially deadly side effect. AP researchers believe there is an “increased risk” of bowel obstruction when taking the drugs. AFP via Getty Images
“While their efficacy and safety profiles are widely recognized, long-term adverse events such as an increased risk of bowel obstruction have been reported in diabetics, which is 4.5 times greater than in patients receiving other glycemic control drugs,” the researchers wrote drug .
“A real-world study of 25,617 subjects showed a 3.5-fold increase in gut obstruction rate associated with GLP-1RA treatment,” the researchers also noted.
The Post reached out to the drug’s manufacturer, Novo Norodisk, for comment.
The scientists also cited two studies in their research that showed a correlation between GLP-1 and gut problems – one published in 2020 and the other in 2022.
However, they were observational in nature and could not confirm a direct connection.
A bowel obstruction occurs when there’s a blockage preventing food or liquid from moving through your small or large intestine, according to the Mayo Clinic.
If left untreated, it can cause the parts of the intestine that were blocked to die and can lead to an infection called peritonitis.
The infection is classified as a life-threatening condition that often requires surgery, according to the organization.
In their letter, they explained that in their own observations of rats taking the drug, after 3 months of treatment with GLP-1b drugs, they had an average 43% increase in small intestine length, noting that the clinical Studies for Wegovy only tested this for 16 months.
Chelsea Handler admitted to having taken the weight loss drug in the past. FilmMagic Elon Musk claimed he was there last fall. Tesla
They also noted that the clinical studies conducted on humans have not shown the same changes in our gut.
The researchers explained that it can be difficult to determine the length of the small intestine in adults and that constipation, a symptom of intestinal blockage, is also the same symptom as slower digestion, an effect the drug has.
However, independent experts not involved in the research told the Daily Mail that the “drug should be safe for most” and claimed that before prescribing the drug to their patients, doctors should examine the person’s gut history.
The popular drug is administered through a once-weekly injection that patients can self-administer. The maximum dose for Wegovy is 2.4 milligrams.
In recent months, the weight-loss drug has taken over Hollywood, as many stars have admitted to taking it at some point, including comedian Chelsea Handler, who claimed she “didn’t know” she was taking Ozempic.
She claimed that her doctor just “hands it out” to someone.
“I came back from vacation and injected myself. I went to lunch with a friend a few days later and she said, ‘I don’t really eat anything. I’m so sick, I’m on Ozempic,'” she recalled during a Jan. 25 appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast.
“And I said, ‘I’m kinda sick too.’ But I had just come back from Spain and was jet lagged,” she continued.
Twitter owner Elon Musk also admitted to using Wegovy last fall.
