Semaglutide: Improving Health Outcomes Simplified

Semaglutide is a medication that helps control blood sugar levels and is used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. In a previous article, we discussed the general characteristics of semaglutide, how it works, the benefits and risks of using it. In this article, we will discuss the outcomes of studies on semaglutide, and how it can improve health outcomes.

Effect on Diabetes and Weight.
Semaglutide has been shown to reduce the average blood sugar level over a period of three months, which is measured by hemoglobin A1c. It has also been found to reduce weight across multiple studies. However, we will focus more on the other risk reductions provided by semaglutide.

Effect on Cardiovascular Disease
People with diabetes have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and, therefore, are at risk for a heart attack. Studies have shown that semaglutide can help lower this risk. In a study conducted by Marso et al, the first occurrence of death from cardiovascular causes was reduced by 26% in those who took semaglutide versus those who did not. A similar result was seen when they compared the difference in the same outcome when comparing oral use of semaglutide versus placebo. The risk was lowered by 21% in this study. These studies showed that, while not perfect, controlling diabetes with semaglutide did improve primary cardiovascular event risks. The occurrence of these events still occurring in those that were taking the medicine shows the complexity of this disease and that there is more to it than just controlling diabetes and/or weight as this medicine also showed a reduction in patient’s weight.

Effect on Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels
Semaglutide has also been found to improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which are part of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a condition that consists of weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Studies have shown that semaglutide can help reduce free fatty acids, VLDL, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and triglycerides compared to other diabetes treatments. It also demonstrated a reduction in blood pressure overall. By improving blood sugar control, reducing one’s weight, reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as improving one’s blood pressure, the treatment of metabolic syndrome as a whole improves and the overall risk that that diagnosis carries goes down as evidenced by the cardiovascular outcomes above.

Studies on Semaglutide
The evidence provided in this article is a sample size of studies that have occurred and are occurring to study semaglutide in greater detail to see how truly effective it is against these kinds of diseases. It is very reassuring thus far, and it is a general rule that if various other studies show consistency with their outcomes, then this medicine is truly doing these kinds of things to the human body, which is fantastic news as diabetes, obesity, poor cholesterol control, hypertension, and vascular disease, among other illnesses, have plagued our society for far too long.

Conclusion
In conclusion, semaglutide is a significant contributor to helping people get their lives back on track. Although it is not the only answer to diabetes, obesity, poor cholesterol control, hypertension, and vascular disease, it has been found to provide promising results in controlling these conditions. We encourage readers to read the cited articles and to discuss with their providers in order to put anything they have questions about in context, as these studies are not perfect, and the data coming from them is realistic meaning that not every single thing we want to be better is going to be better.

Dr Stephen Hoelscher

www.integrativemediowa.com/stephen.html

References

• Marso SP, Bain SC, Consoli A, Eliaschewitz FG, Jódar E, Leiter LA, Lingvay I, Rosenstock J, Seufert J, Warren ML, et al. Semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2016;375(19):1834–1844. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1607141. 

                    https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1607141

• Husain M, Birkenfeld AL, Donsmark M, Dungan K, Eliaschewitz FG, Franco DR, Jeppesen OK, Lingvay I, Mosenzon O, Pedersen SD, et al. Oral semaglutide and cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2019;381(9):841–851

                   https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa1901118?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed

• Capehorn, M., Ghani, Y., Hindsberger, C. et al. Once-Weekly Semaglutide Reduces HbA1c and Body Weight in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Regardless of Background Common OAD: a Subgroup Analysis from SUSTAIN 2–4 and 10. Diabetes Ther 11, 1061–1075 (2020).

          https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13300-020-00796-z#citeas

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