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☆ Popular weight-loss and diabetes medications show promise for curbing smoking, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-29 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

But experts emphasize that much more research is needed before using the medications off-label for smoking cessation. In a study published Monday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers tracked the medical records of more than 200,000 people who started medications to treat type 2 diabetes, including nearly 6,000 people using semaglutide medications such as Ozempic. Over the course of a year, people who started using semaglutide were significantly less likely to have medical encounters for tobacco use disorders, prescriptions for medications for smoking cessation or counseling for smoking cessation than those who started other diabetes medications such as insulin and metformin. “A signal like this one cannot be ignored, particularly because of how consequential it could be if, in fact, we can have now a new medication for treating smoking cessation,” she said. But fewer than 1 in 10 adult cigarette smokers succeed in quitting each year, according to the new study, and options for smoking cessation treatment haven’t changed much in decades.

Persons: Disha, ”, Nora Volkow, ” Volkow, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Volkow Organizations: CNN, Internal Medicine, Endeavor Health, National Institute on Drug, Get CNN, CNN Health, US Centers for Disease Control, American Cancer Society Locations: Chicago, United States

☆ Popular weight loss and diabetes drugs linked to increased risk of rare form of blindness
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-03 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —People who take Ozempic or Wegovy may have a higher risk of developing a rare form of blindness, a new study suggests. The condition is relatively rare — up to 10 out of 100,000 people in the general population may experience it — but the doctors noted three cases in one week, and each of those patients was taking semaglutide medications. The risk was found to be greatest within the first year of receiving a prescription for semaglutide. Semaglutide prescriptions have soared in the US, which could raise the number of people at risk for a potential side effect. But the large number of people who are taking semaglutide should raise confidence that the absolute risk of developing NAION as a result is rare.

Persons: ”, Joseph Rizzo, ” Susan Mollan, Disha, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Chanapa, Andrew Lee, ” Narang Organizations: CNN —, Mass, Novo Nordisk, CNN, Harvard Medical School, ”, University Hospitals Birmingham, Endeavor Health, CNN Health, US Food and Drug Administration, FDA, American Academy of Ophthalmology, Houston Methodist Hospital Locations: Chicago

☆ Many people using GLP-1s for weight loss stop treatment too soon, research shows, and results are not one-size-fits-all
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Deidre Mcphillips | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Professional organizations have set this as a guideline for when to reassess whether a treatment is providing clinically meaningful weight loss. People who met with their providers less frequently – and those living in underserved regions with broader health inequities – were more likely to discontinue GLP-1 treatment sooner. But using GLP-1 treatments are still an investment in many ways. These injected medications, called GLP-1 agonists, are in high demand because they have proved to be so effective for weight loss. And experts warn that the GLP-1 treatment process can be different for everyone.

Persons: ”, Disha, Wegovy, Jody Dushay, Beth, There’s, Razia Hashmi, ” Hashmi, it’s, “, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, ” Narang, ” Dushay Organizations: CNN, Endeavor Health, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Shield, Dandelion Health, CNN Health, “ Locations: Chicago, –, GLP

☆ Once loyal Calibrate patients say they regained weight after the startup struggled to get them weight-loss meds on time
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Christina started taking Wegovy in September 2021 after getting a prescription through Calibrate, a startup that promises science-backed help with weight loss. She never received medication through Calibrate again, and she's since gained back all the weight she lost. Calibrate says its goal for Masters patients is to get them off weight-loss medications and help them maintain the weight loss they achieved. A former employee on Calibrate's clinical team said the startup allocated fewer doctors to second-year patients because those patients historically required less help from Calibrate. At least four second-year patients Insider spoke with said they sought refunds from Calibrate after they didn't receive the services they paid for.

Persons: Christina, She'd, I'm, Florian Gaertner, they've, They've, Isabelle Kenyon, Kenyon, Fortune, Jenny Craig, Ozempic, it's, Katie, Calibrate's, didn't, It's, James, they'd, Arantza Pena Popo, Disha, aren't, hasn't, Michael Siluk, Beth Organizations: Getty, Calibrate's, Better, LinkedIn Locations: York, Chicago

Wegovy is a weekly injection that can help patients shed 15% of their weight alongside diet and exercise changes. Walgreens (WBA.O), one of the biggest U.S. pharmacies, is experiencing supply shortages for the higher strengths, spokesperson Erin Loverher confirmed. Doctors in six U.S. states told Reuters patients are reporting problems filling their prescriptions for the higher doses. Three of the doctors said supply delays at pharmacies had resulted in patients missing their Wegovy injections at the prescribed weekly interval. "Patients are often having to delay their injections because it's harder for pharmacies to get Wegovy in stock," he said.

Persons: Erin Loverher, Novo, Alicia Shelly, Shelly, Robert Kushner, Wegovy, Kushner, Denise Wells, Wells, Holly Lofton, New York University Langone, Disha Narang, Narang, Maggie Fick, Patrick Wingrove, Elissa Welle, Caroline Humer, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Reuters, Walgreens, Wellstar, Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, Amazon Pharmacy, New York University, Northwestern Medicine, Barclays Research, Novo, Thomson Locations: U.S, Danish, Georgia, Chicago, Michigan, Chicago , New York, San Francisco, Detroit, Atlanta, Charlottesville , Virginia, London, New York

☆ People Can't Get Ozempic, New Weight-Loss Drugs Because of Broken Healthcare System
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Wegovy is just one of a wave of revolutionary weight-loss drugs, which also includes the buzzy Ozempic, that represents a watershed moment for obesity treatment. Demand for weight-loss drugs is surgingDoctors and healthcare professionals searched for a healthy, safe, and effective weight-loss solution for years before the drugs, known collectively as GLP-1 agonists, exploded on the scene. If there is one key that could unlock access to expensive weight-loss drugs for Americans, it's Medicare. Expanding coverage for Ozempic and other weight-loss drugs for just a small segment of the population could cost Medicare up to $26.8 billion a year. Patients lose outYears from now, patients may have an easier time getting their hands on weight-loss drugs.

☆ Workers are clamoring for pricey new weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. Companies are grappling with how to respond.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Companies that pay for workers' health insurance are grappling with how to cover the pricey drugs. Medicare, the federal program that provides health coverage for people 65 and older, doesn't cover weight-loss drugs. ArcBest already has a program to help workers lose weight through behavior changes and nutrition. Krutsch said he wants to build on that, covering the weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Saxenda for employees who aren't able to lose weight without medication. The new weight-loss drugs were in short supply in 2022, and that gave employers time to figure out how to handle them, he said.

☆ People with diabetes struggle to find Ozempic as it soars in popularity as a weight loss aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Berkeley-Lovelace-Jr.Jpg | Berkeley Lovelace Jr. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

For the past two years, she's managed the condition using a drug called Ozempic, which helps people with diabetes keep blood sugar levels in check. "It's been very frustrating," Largent-Phillips, of Florida, said of the shortage, adding that her blood sugar levels have been fluctuating as she's had to change medications. If the body doesn't use it well, that sugar stays in the blood, resulting in high blood sugar levels. His wife, Gerilynn, who is a nurse, said his blood sugar levels have gone back up since being off Ozempic. Largent-Phillips, of Florida — who has been documenting her experience on TikTok — said that for now, she has to be vigilant about monitoring her blood sugar levels.

☆ What Is Ozempic and Why Is It Getting So Much Attention?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Dani Blum | More About Dani Blum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Ozempic, a drug used to treat diabetes, keeps gaining attention as celebrities, a tech mogul and TikTok influencers have described taking it to lose weight in short time frames. Elon Musk, when asked about how he looked “fit, ripped and healthy,” tweeted that he was taking Wegovy. On TikTok, the hashtag #Ozempic has been viewed over 273 million times, with people alternately expressing shock over their supposed medication-induced weight loss and swapping stories about side effects. Ozempic and Wegovy are not the only medications gaining popularity for their weight loss effects. Dr. Narang herself has seen patients “who have somehow gotten their hands on this,” taking the medication off-label, she said.

Persons: TikTok, Elon Musk, ”, Andy Cohen, “, Ozempic, Eli Lilly, Disha, Narang Organizations: Drug Administration, Variety, Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital, Novo Nordisk Locations: Britain, Northwestern, Ozempic

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