Semaglutide – A Newly Approved Medication for Managing Weight

Health April 6, 2023 Tiffany Wood

Semaglutide is a newly Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) approved medication for managing weight. It has been receiving a lot of praise recently after...

Semaglutide – A Newly Approved Medication for Managing Weight

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Semaglutide is a newly Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) approved medication for managing weight. It has been receiving a lot of praise recently after being approved for treating obesity.

The newly-approved medication is an anti-diabetic drug that belongs to a drug class known as GLP-Receptor Agonists and Incretin Memetics. It was [1] initially approved in 2017 as a drug for treating and managing high-blood sugar symptoms in Type 2 diabetes patients. Ever since, researchers have been persistently studying its role as a chronic weight management drug.

After a sequence of clinical trials combined with many case studies, Semaglutide is now an FDA-approved weight management drug for overall weight management in overweight and obese patients. It is designed for obese and overweight patients that are already suffering from other subsequent weight-related health problems.

Who is the Drug Meant For?

Over the last six or seven decades, obesity has been on the rise, and it has been an alarming issue, especially in the health care system. In fact, [2] the Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that approximately 73 percent of Americans of ages 20 years and above are overweight. That is a large and alarming number of overweight people for any population.

If left unmanaged, obesity is likely to result in many other overweight-related illnesses such as:

Heart Diseases
Arthritis
Diabetes
Certain types of cancers

To prevent such illnesses among the general population, it is important to design ways of helping people to manage their weight, a process called healthy weight management.

Studies show that losing 5-10 percent of the overall body weight through a combination of regular exercise and healthy eating lowers the risk of a person getting diabetes by [3] 58 percent. Besides, weight loss is beneficial for the heart because [4] lowers the risk of heart diseases and [5] lowers blood pressure.

Semaglutide is designed to help overweight people with defined weight-related health conditions. It boosts overall weight loss in such people, helping them avert the effects of weight-related health problems. A good example is that overweight adults suffering from weight-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol can use Semaglutide to achieve improved weight loss. The drug works best by combining it with healthy eating practices and regular exercise.

How is Semaglutide Administered?

The FDA approved dose for Semaglutide is a once per week injection of 2.4 milligrams, which is adequate for weight management in adults with:

A 27 kg/m2 BMI and are suffering from high blood pressure and diabetes, and
A 30 kg/m2 BMI or more.

The drug is administered by mouth or via a subcutaneous injection under the skin. It works amazingly by mimicking the behavior of insulin in the body, thereby lowering the body’s blood sugar levels. Besides, it alters and controls certain brain areas that regulate food intake and appetite, [6] suppressing your appetite as a result. That helps reduce your cravings and gives you increased control of your food intake patterns. Furthermore, Semaglutide has been clinically approved as a drug indicating a reduction in the risk of severe cardiovascular episodes in adults suffering from severe heart conditions.