Semaglutide Weight Loss Injections
Approximately 70% of American adults are obese or overweight, a severe health issue associated with some leading causes of death, including heart disease. Losing just 5% to 10% of body weight with diet and exercise has proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in adult patients with obesity or overweight, but that’s not always possible.
The FDA has approved weekly Semaglutide injections for chronic weight management in obese or overweight adults with at least one weight-related condition. This under-the-skin injection can help you lose up to two pounds per week when paired with an intermittent fasting, low carbohydrate, low sugar diet and increased physical activity.
What is Semaglutide?
Semaglutide is an FDA-approved weight loss injection. By mimicking a hormone in the body, Semaglutide increases insulin secretion while slowing down how fast your stomach empties food. This suppresses your appetite, so you feel full longer, helping you eat less and lose weight.
The drug was initially approved in 2017 at a lower dose to help control blood sugar in Type 2 diabetes. People taking Semaglutide for blood sugar control lose weight as an additional benefit. After studying a higher amount of the medication in people without Type 2 diabetes, the FDA approved Semaglutide for weight loss in qualified adults.
How does Semaglutide work for weight loss?
Semaglutide mimics a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (or GLP-1) that targets areas in the brain that regulate appetite and food intake. Your digestive tract releases this incretin hormone after you’ve eaten a meal, lowering your blood sugar by triggering insulin release to block sugar production. Doing so helps you eat less and lose one to two pounds per week. And while a reduced-calorie meal plan increases the rate at which you lose and keep off weight, dieting is not required to lose weight on Semaglutide.
What are the benefits of Semaglutide weight loss injections?
Semaglutide is the first of its kind as a safe and highly effective hormone-based weight loss medication.
Some of the health benefits associated with Semaglutide include the following:
- Lower blood sugar without any increase in hypoglycemia
- Reduced body weight, lipids, blood pressure, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress
- Suppressed appetite
- Enhanced insulin synthesis and secretion
- Reduced glucagon levels in fasting and after eating
- A promoted sensation of fullness in the brain
- Slowed gastric emptying in the intestines to help you feel fuller for longer
- Weight loss
- More significant improvement in cardiovascular risk factors associated with obesity
In clinical trials, Semaglutide helped most recipients lose 10% of their body weight. More than half of them reduced their weight by 15%, the amount that most healthcare professionals say can help reduce the risk for future chronic illnesses.
Are there any side effects?
The FDA studied Semaglutide’s safety and efficacy in four 68-week trials. Individuals who received the injections safely lost 6.2% of their initial body weight compared to those who received a placebo. However, it is essential to be aware of reported side effects when determining whether Semaglutide weight loss injections suit your weight loss journey.
Gastrointestinal (or GI) side effects are most common when taking this medication, especially after increasing your dose.
Semaglutide is well tolerated but side effects can occur.
The most common side effects include the following:
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Stomach pain
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Indigestion
- Dizziness
- Bloating
- Burping
