Semaglutide: How Does It Help Treat Diabetes and Improve Weight Loss??

Diabetes runs in my family.?

I have at least two immediate family members that have some type of diabetes. This number increases as I look towards my extended family.?

This means that I may be diagnosed with diabetes in the future.

Some of my family members use insulin to treat their diabetes. Others take tablets or use other injectable medications.

I recently had a conversation with one of my relatives regarding the use of Ozempic (semaglutide). It would be a new treatment for them and they wanted to know everything about the medication, including how it causes weight loss.?

There is so much information available, in the news and online, about Ozempic and similar medications. It’s easy to be confused between what’s fact and what’s myth.?

Continue reading to learn more about semaglutide, and how it works in your body to treat diabetes and to improve weight loss.?

What Is Diabetes??

Diabetes is a chronic health condition characterized by high blood sugar. You need blood sugar to provide energy to the cells in your body.?

Insulin helps move this blood sugar into the cells in your body. However, when your body does not have enough insulin or does not respond well to the insulin available, your blood sugar levels increase.

There are different kinds of diabetes including type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.? This article will only focus on type 2 diabetes.?

What Is Type 1 Diabetes?

When you have type 1 diabetes, your body has difficulty producing insulin. If you have this type of diabetes, you must use daily insulin injections to help control your blood sugar.???

What Is Type 2 Diabetes?

Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes. If you have this type of diabetes, your body does not produce enough insulin or your body does not respond normally to insulin. When blood sugar is not moved into the needed cells, it accumulates in your blood, causing high blood sugar.?

When you have type 2 diabetes, your doctor may prescribe both insulin and non-insulin medications for you. Examples of non-insulin medications include oral tablets such as metformin or glimepiride, as well as injections such as semaglutide and liraglutide.?

Ultimately, your doctor will decide which medication is medically appropriate for you.

Am I at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes?

There are a number of factors that may increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.?

Your doctor may check you for type 2 diabetes if you:

• are at least 45 years old
• have family members with diabetes
• are currently diagnosed with high blood pressure

What Happens if My Diabetes Is Not Treated Properly?

Medications and lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, can help you manage your diabetes. Diabetic medications work in different ways to help lower your blood sugar.?

When medications are not taken properly (or not at all), you can have prolonged periods of high blood sugar. Over time, your diabetes may worsen and might develop into other serious health conditions.?

Complications of type 2 diabetes include:

• heart disease
• eye disease
• nerve damage
• kidney failure

What Is Semaglutide??

Semaglutide is an injectable medication from a class of drugs called glucagon-peptide-like 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. These medications imitate the GLP-1 hormone that is naturally in your body, which regulates insulin production, blood sugar, and appetite.

How Does Semaglutide Treat Diabetes?

Semaglutide helps treat diabetes by lowering your blood sugar levels. It works in your body to increase the amount of insulin produced and decrease the amount of blood sugar available.?

How Does Semaglutide Work in Weight Loss?

Semaglutide also promotes weight loss by causing you to eat less food. It works by decreasing your appetite and increasing your feelings of fullness.?

What’s the Difference Between Ozempic and Wegovy?

Injectable semaglutide is available under two brand names: Ozempic and Wegovy.?

Ozempic is currently approved by the FDA to treat type 2 diabetes. It is also approved to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death in adults with type 2 diabetes, who also have heart disease.?

Wegovy is approved by the FDA to treat adults with obesity and related complications, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol.

Even though semaglutide is marketed under the two brand names, Ozempic is not FDA-approved for the treatment of weight loss, and Wegovy is not FDA-approved for the treatment of diabetes.?

How Do I Know What’s Right for Me?

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that requires you to manage your blood sugar levels.?

Semaglutide is a medication that can lower your blood sugar and can also help with weight loss.?

Remember that Ozempic is for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, whereas Wegovy is for weight loss.

Visit the Ozempic website and the Wegovy website for additional information about how semaglutide works in your body.

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References:

• Type 2 Diabetes

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes/type-2-diabetes

• Diabetes Type 2?

https://medlineplus.gov/diabetestype2.html

• What Are My Options for Type 2 Diabetes Medications?

https://diabetes.org/health-wellness/medication/oral-other-injectable-diabetes-medications

• What is Diabetes

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes?

• Checking Your Blood Glucose

https://diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-care/checking-your-blood-sugar?

• Medications Containing Semaglutide

https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/medications-containing-semaglutide-marketed-type-2-diabetes-or-weight-loss?

• Wegovy?

https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm

• Ozempic?

https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm

• Ozempic?

https://www.ozempic.com/why-ozempic/how-ozempic-works.html?

• Wegovy?

https://www.wegovy.com/about-wegovy/how-does-wegovy-work.htm