How to Lose Weight with Ozempic?

Diabetes is one of the major non-communicable diseases affecting Malaysians.

‘It is a serious problem with nearly one in five — or about 3.9 million — adults estimated to be living with diabetes in the country.’

Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah voiced his concerns in an interview by The Star. It’s in the news on 11 November 2021.

Health has been an evergreen topic for many of us. Regardless of age, we tend to discuss it frequently. We all knew the best way to become healthy is to exercise and have a healthy diet.

A healthy diet and regular physical exercise is the recipe to live longer. However, it is easier said than done. Even the doctors might not have the time to execute them due to their busy lifestyles.

We work most of the time. Whenever we have any extra time, we want to rest. Many enjoy being a ‘couch potato’ at home and do nothing to recharge. As time passes, the lack of physical exercise leads us to develop some chronic diseases.

Having the self-discipline to care for our health is imperative. Nevertheless, there is some medical we can use to maintain our health.

What can we use?

Recently, a newly approved medicine has been used for diabetes (type 2 diabetes mellitus), decreasing the possibility of a heart attack, stroke and obesity-related complications.

The Ministry of Health Malaysia approved it recently.

This medicine is Ozempic, also known as Semaglutide.

Based on the news portal FMT, it is a ‘game changer’ in treating obesity. This piece of news is a silver lining for our ‘sweet nation’.

A study from the New England Journal of Medicine showed a positive outcome. In a large-scale international trial, over one-third of people who were on the medicine experienced weight loss. Most of them lost twenty per cent of their body weight.

So, what is Ozempic?

Ozempic is a significant breakthrough.

Ozempic is a reputable medication that is in wide use globally. It includes the United States (approved by FDA), Canada, Japan and the European Union (Ozempic is authorised to use in the EU by the European Medicines Agency).

Now, it is accessible in Malaysia as well.

It further regulates the blood sugar level of an adult whose diabetic journey has been stagnant. Those taking their diabetic medicine can opt for it (depending on their doctor’s advice).

Moreover, it is an alternative for those who cannot tolerate other forms of diabetic medications.

How does Ozempic work?

Ozempic has a generic name, thanks to its active substance called semaglutide.

It is 94% similar to this human hormone – glucagon peptide 1 (GLP-1). To put it simply, GLP-1 is a hormone that prompts insulin release and holds back glucose delivery. In short, it lowers the blood sugar level.

Semaglutide is a receptor agonist to the aforementioned human hormone. In other words, it is an enhancer to the hormone.

Metaphorically, putting salt will provide some flavour to the soup, which will taste salty. But, putting MSG further enhances the flavour of the soup.

Initially, we have a hormone that regulates our blood sugar level. Ozempic encourages more cell growth (beta cells) in the pancreas. As a result, it allows our hormones to work even better.

It makes us eat less food

Ozempic manages our appetite and reduces our food intake too. Moreover, it discourages us from overeating high-fat food.

Thus, we will have a lesser craving for food.

Lesser high-fat food intake reduces body weight and fat mass.

On the other hand, Ozempic does not stop the body from producing glucose. Instead, it will cut down the insulin secretion to maintain the average blood sugar level.

The benefits of Ozempic

Although Ozempic causes weight loss, its purpose is to manage blood sugar levels more effectively.

Furthermore, it prevents diabetic patients from getting health complications linked to diabetes.

Additionally, it lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases (heart attack, stroke). All of these studies involved a placebo trial.

In non-diabetics

In a study published by The New England Journal of Medicine, the usage of Ozempic in the trial showed that a positive outcome on weight loss.

The trial involved almost 2000 adults with a period of 68 weeks.

There was 15.3kg in weight reduction from baseline in the Ozempic group.

On the other hand, the non-Ozempic had a weight reduction of 2.6kg.

The trial concluded the safety and efficiency of Ozempic on obese adults (with or without diabetes).

According to BBC News, Jan (a participant of the medical trial) shared her experience with the drug. She claimed that she lost 28kg, akin to a fifth of her total body weight. Jan described her personal experience of conventional dieting as excruciating. Whereas incorporating Ozempic made her weight loss journey smoother.

She felt less hungry as the drug curbed her appetite. The hunger experience was less painful compared to forcing herself not to eat.

It is a new era for people who require obesity treatment. However, a healthy lifestyle works in tandem with the weight loss journey.

Can we get Ozempic in Malaysia?

In Malaysia, Ozempic is a controlled medicine.

Therefore, the public cannot get Ozempic over the counter at the pharmacy.

A doctor’s prescription is necessary.

Each individual has different health needs.

Doctors will need to consider other medical conditions as well before prescribing. Thus, do refrain from changing the dose or purchasing the medication without your doctor’s instructions.

How do we use this?

Ozempic is a form of a solution that fills in a pen. The medication can be injected into different body parts, for example, upper arms, thighs or the belly area.

A new needle and syringe are essential each time after usage. It is not advisable to mix injections (such as insulin) using the same syringe.

In the beginning, it is vital to monitor blood sugar levels. The timing is before and after meals. Similarly, one should check again before sleep. There is a possibility that the individual may experience low blood sugar levels.

If the sugar goes too low, the individual may feel dizzy, hungry, shivers and even lose consciousness.

Therefore, remember to follow the doctor’s plan diligently. Take the medication according to the time given and have your meals regularly.

Who should use this?

There are a few scenarios people can usually use this:

One with diabetes mellitus but has difficulty tolerating other types of diabetic medications
Current diabetic status is not well controlled

However, no one should replace insulin with Ozempic. Both medications have different functions. One cannot replace one another but rather compliments each other.

Avoid using the medication if you’re in one of these situations:

Pregnant or breastfeeding.
Plan to conceive. Do stop taking it at least two months before proceeding with your baby planning.
A child and young adolescence that are below 18 years old. There is not any clinical trial or sufficient information about this medication for this age group.

Side effects

Like all medications, Ozempic has some noticeable side effects. It affects more than 10% of the users. Some of the side effects include:

Diarrhoea
Nausea
Vomiting

That said, these side effects are not severe. They do not last a long time.

These medical conditions affect the effectiveness of Ozempic:

Depression
Kidney impairment
Digestive issue
Retinopathy caused by diabetes (Ozempic will worsen the damage of the eyes)
People with a history of the health conditions above should beware that Ozempic might be incompatible.

Conclusion

Multiple countries approve Ozempic due to its proven effectiveness. Additionally, it can achieve many positive outcomes.

That includes:

weight management
heart disease prevention
blood sugar levels optimisation

It is another viable option for people with diabetes mellitus.

However, do get advice from your attending doctor about the usage of the medication.

This article serves as an educational awareness. Kindly refrain from relying solely on the information from this article alone to make decisions. Consult with your doctor and get the appropriate care.

References

Dr Cha Kar Huei

Dr Cha is a surgeon at the Subang Jaya Medical Centre (SJMC). He graduated from Dalhousie University, Canada in 1998. He entered surgical training at Massachusetts General Hospital and completed his training at the University of Wisconsin in 2004.

He trained at the New York University Medical Centre on minimally invasive bariatric surgery and attained a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons in 2009.

Dr Cha is experienced in minimally invasive surgery with an interest in bariatric surgery. He is also a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).