The danger of abusing Ozempic: "This is not about losing two or three kilos"
One of the great concerns given the avalanche of good results from Ozempic and Saxenda is their indiscriminate use and in people who do not really need it.. José Manuel García, member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Diabetes Federation (FEDE), is blunt: “This is not about losing two or three kilos. It is a weapon against obesity and diabetes. For patients”. The forcefulness of his words is due to the fact that its use became popular through social networks months before the summer and then there was a stock out and a shortage of them.
“In fact, it's getting worse and worse, because it's not just Ozempic, Saxenda (liraglutide) has also broken stock. We have a shortage problem,” explains Olga González, head of the Endocrinology Service at the Gregorio Marañón Hospital in Madrid.
And he emphasizes that “it is not designed for patients who are slightly overweight, what they should do is modify their lifestyles.”. In some private clinics it is being offered for people who want to lose six kilos but that is not appropriate.. “The drug should be reserved for people with obesity, which is a very serious disease.”
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Clotilde Vázquez, head of the Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition at the Jiménez Díaz Foundation (FJD), is also blunt: “Given what has happened, we believe that the prescription of drugs for obesity should, at least at the beginning, be limited to units obesity or very specific situations. “We must avoid this situation.”
The drugs arrive that will end the pandemic of obesity and other cardiovascular problems
Because, as the head of the FJD explains, “right now, simply with a member number the drug can be prescribed. It can be prescribed by an aesthetic or sports doctor.. I think that its use has been trivialized, sometimes indicating it to lose a few kilos and that has an impact on the treatment of patients with very serious problems, such as obesity or diabetes.”
In fact, only the title of the document from the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (Aemps) that regulates its use is already quite descriptive about its purpose: “Therapeutic Positioning Report of semaglutide (Wegovy) as a complement to a low-calorie diet and increased physical activity for weight control, including weight loss and maintenance, in adults with obesity, or overweight and associated comorbidities.”
In it, it is specified that its prescription would be restricted to “adults who are obese (30 kg/m2), or overweight (27 kg/m2 to <30 kg/m2) in the presence of at least one comorbidity related to the weight, such as glycemic disorders (prediabetes or DM2), high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea or cardiovascular disease.
One of the obstacles in Spain is that it is not financed for this purpose. “This should be reconsidered, because obese patients need it. And not everyone can afford the costs, about 300 euros per month,” claims Cristóbal Morales, member of the Board of Directors of the Spanish Obesity Society (Seedo).. “In Spain there is currently no funding for any obesity drug,” denounces González.
From the Faith, as patients, they also demand coverage. “We must not forget that this is not just a pill or an injection. “It is a pharmacological 'aid' with which the results of changes in diet and physical exercise are seen,” says García.. “And, of course, those influencers who used it for a few months and that's it, now they don't because they don't see the effects.”
Morales remembers the basic rules of operation of LPG-1. “They have the effect if they are accompanied by a change in habits. A balanced diet, not a diet, and regular exercise. Otherwise, they do not work. It is a radical lifestyle change. In many cases, Obesity is not the patient's fault, which is why tools must be made available to them.”
The spokesperson for diabetic patients attests. “For people who have tried everything without success, this is a very important solution. If you see that the results are maintained, you eat better and do more sports. In the end, you feel better. So mental health also benefits” .