Ozempic is a well-known diabetes drug that is used by some of your favourite celebrities worldwide.
Is the drug safe? What are the side effects of this weight loss injection? In this article, we answer all those questions.
According to Forbes Health – a health information hub – Ozempic is a prescription drug for treating type 2 diabetes. Ozempic’s prescription improves blood sugar levels and lowers haemoglobin A1C, a marker of blood glucose over time. It also helps type 2 diabetes patients reduce their risk of cardiovascular events such as strokes and heart attacks, among other things.
Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity medicine physician-scientist, emphasises the safety and efficacy of Ozempic, a medication that cures both type 2 diabetes and obesity.
She says, “Approximately 80% of patients with type 2 diabetes also have concurrent obesity. So, these patients garner dual benefit for the treatment of their diabetes and obesity.”
Forbes Health highlights that people with the following conditions should avoid using Ozempic:
- Pancreatitis.
- Type 1 diabetes.
- Under 18 years of age.
- Pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Diabetic retinopathy.
- Problems with the pancreas or kidneys.
- Family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC).
- Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2), an endocrine system condition.
Ozempic works in several ways to lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. The drug also lowers heart-related risks in people with both diabetes and heart disease.
Healthline explains that the medication goes into the bloodstream which prevents high blood sugar levels by slowing food transit through the stomach and decreasing sugar release into the bloodstream.
The above-mentioned source also provides a list of the common mild side effects a person using the drug will experience:
- Constipation.
- Diarrhoea.
- Nausea.
- Abdominal pain.
- Vomiting.
Also see: Is drinking okra water healthy?
