For individuals struggling with obesity and heart disease, a new analysis suggests that semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) could be a game-changer—not just for their health but for healthcare costs, too.
Published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, the study reveals that while semaglutide isn’t cost-effective at current prices, price reductions could make it a high-value treatment. Researchers from the University of Calgary found that with a 50% price reduction, semaglutide could meet the value benchmark for healthcare, urging policymakers to consider long-term savings.
Obesity, expected to affect over half the world’s population by 2035, increases the risk of heart disease. Semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, has shown promise in regulating blood sugar, reducing appetite, and slowing digestion. Currently, it’s only funded for diabetics in Canada.
Lead researcher Derek Chew, MD, emphasizes the potential benefits: “With price cuts, semaglutide could offer significant health and economic benefits for non-diabetic individuals with cardiovascular disease.”
The study’s findings highlight the need for a shift in healthcare funding towards preventive measures that offer long-term value, rather than just treating existing conditions.
As obesity continues to rise, funding effective treatments like semaglutide could be crucial for improving public health and reducing long-term healthcare costs.
Groundbreaking Research Shows Brown Fat’s Potential to Enhance Health and Fitness
A new study from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School reveals that brown adipose tissue (BAT), a special type of fat that burns calories to generate heat, can significantly boost exercise performance and promote healthy aging. This exciting discovery could lead to innovative treatments for various health conditions, including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
What is Brown Fat? Unlike regular white fat, which stores energy, brown fat helps the body stay warm by burning calories. This process boosts metabolism and has been linked to improved health outcomes.
Study Highlights Researchers evaluated the role of brown fat in improving exercise endurance and supporting healthy aging. Key findings include:
Enhanced Exercise Performance: When brown fat from genetically modified mice (known for their longer lifespan) was transplanted into regular mice, the recipients showed improved running endurance within just three days.
Improved Blood Circulation: Brown fat was found to enhance blood flow and reduce cellular stress, potentially combating age-related muscle loss and fatigue.
Why It Matters The unique properties of brown fat in boosting physical performance and overall health highlight its potential as a treatment for various conditions. According to the researchers, treatments that mimic the benefits of brown fat could help improve energy levels, maintain a healthy weight, and support heart health.
Looking Ahead Continued research on brown fat could lead to new therapies that help older adults live more active lives and reduce the risk of chronic age-related conditions.
Discover how brown fat could revolutionize health and fitness. Stay informed about the latest advancements and potential treatments that could transform lives!Message Copilot
A rigorous workout suppresses hunger more than moderate exercise in healthy adults, with females potentially more affected, according to a small study published in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
The study investigates how exercise intensity affects ghrelin levels and appetite in men and women. Ghrelin, known as the “hunger hormone,” is linked to feelings of hunger.
“We discovered that high-intensity exercise reduces ghrelin levels more effectively than moderate-intensity exercise,” said lead author Kara Anderson, Ph.D., from the University of Virginia and the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville, Virginia. “Additionally, we found that individuals felt ‘less hungry’ after high-intensity exercise compared to when they engaged in moderate-intensity exercise.”
Ghrelin circulates in acylated (AG) and deacylated (DAG) forms, which are known to affect appetite. The study noted that data on the impact of exercise intensity on AG and DAG levels and their effects on appetite is sparse and primarily limited to males.
To address this shortfall, the study examined eight males and six females. Participants fasted overnight and then completed exercises of varying intensity levels, determined by blood lactate measurements, followed by self-reported measurements of appetite.
The study noted that females had higher levels of total ghrelin at baseline compared with males. However, only females demonstrated “significantly reduced AG” following the intense exercise.
“We found that moderate intensity either did not change ghrelin levels or led to a net increase,” the study noted. These findings suggest that exercise above the lactate threshold “may be necessary to elicit a suppression in ghrelin.”
Researchers also acknowledged that more work is needed to determine the extent to which exercise’s effects differ by sex.
Ghrelin has been shown to have wide-ranging biological effects in areas including energy balance, appetite, glucose homeostasis, immune function, sleep, and memory.
“Exercise should be thought of as a ‘drug,’ where the ‘dose’ should be customized based on an individual’s personal goals,” Anderson said. “Our research suggests that high-intensity exercise may be important for appetite suppression, which can be particularly useful as part of a weight loss program.”
New research being presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Madrid, Spain (9-13 September) suggests that weight loss interventions could reduce the risk of severe cases of flu and other infections in people with diabetes.
The study by Rhian Hopkins and Ethan de Villiers at the University of Exeter Medical School in Exeter, UK, found evidence suggesting that a higher BMI is associated with severe infections.
In contrast, there was no evidence that mild hyperglycemia contributes to the likelihood of a severe infection.
Hopkins stated, “Up to one in three hospitalizations among people with diabetes are due to infections, and individuals with diabetes are twice as likely to be hospitalized with infections compared to the general population. They also face a high risk of readmission.”
Previous studies have found that higher BMI and poor blood sugar control are associated with severe infections. However, these studies have been observational and thus haven’t been able to prove causal links.
“If one or both of these factors can be shown to be causal, it may be possible to design interventions to lower the risk of severe infections in those at high risk, such as people with diabetes.”
The recent study utilized data from the UK Biobank, which contains medical and genetic information on approximately 500,000 individuals in the UK. The study aimed to investigate the impact of elevated BMI and inadequate blood sugar regulation on the likelihood of being hospitalized due to bacterial and viral infections.
A higher BMI was found to be associated with hospitalisation with infections. Similarly, every five-point increase in BMI was associated with a 32% increase in the likelihood a severe viral infection.
An association between mild hyperglycemia and severe infections was found. The likelihood of hospitalization due to bacterial infection increased by 32% per 10mmol/mol rise in HbA1c, a measure of blood sugar levels.
This suggested that a higher BMI is one of the causes of severe bacterial and viral infections.
However, mild hyperglycaemia did not appear to cause severe infections.
Although the study didn’t focus on individuals with diabetes, Ms Hopkins says that, given their vulnerability to infections, the results may be particularly relevant to them.
She adds: “Infections are a significant cause of death and ill health, particularly in people with diabetes. Anyone admitted to hospital with a severe infection is also at high risk of being admitted again with another. However, we currently have few practical ways to prevent this.
“This study demonstrates that higher BMI is a cause of hospital admission with infection. Clinicians could discuss weight loss options for people with a high BMI at risk of severe infections and readmission to hospital for infection.”
“While this message may be particularly relevant to people with diabetes, it applies more widely.”
Further research is needed to determine if more severe hyperglycaemia is a cause of severe infections.
“Amycretin mimics the action of two peptide hormones in one single molecule.”
Amycretin functions as both an amylin and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. Both of these hormones play a key role in regulating appetite and the feeling of hunger and have been shown to contribute to weight loss.
GLP-1 based treatment options are currently administered via injections. Amylin-based treatments undergoing clinical development also use this delivery method. There are no tablet-form treatment options targeting both of these biologies.
In a single-centre, placebo-controlled, double-blinded phase 1 study, adult participants with a BMI of 25.0-39.9 kg/m2 without diabetes were randomized to receive amycretin or a placebo once a day for up to 12 weeks.
The research, conducted by Novo Nordisk A/S and a clinical research unit in the US, consisted of two parts: single- and multiple-ascending dose studies. In the single-ascending dose part, doses of amycretin were tested orally, starting at 1 mg per day and increasing to 25 mg. The 10-day multiple-ascending doses study investigated doses ranging from 3 to 12 mg, while the 12-week multiple-ascending doses study involved step-wise dose escalation, starting at 3 mg and reaching a final dose of 2×50 mg.
In the first-in-human trial, amycretin appeared to have a safe and tolerable profile consistent with the drug receptor classes. Side effects were mainly mild to moderate in severity and of gastrointestinal nature, including nausea and vomiting.
Sure, the following shows the revised text: “After the trial, it was found that participants who took amycretin experienced greater weight loss compared to those who took the placebo. Those taking 50 mg of amycretin lost an average of 10.4% of their body weight after 12 weeks of treatment, while those who took the maximum tested dose of 2x50mg experienced a 13.1% reduction in body weight. In contrast, those taking the placebo only lost an average of 1.1% of their body weight during the same period.”
Notably, at the end of the treatment period, weight loss had not reached a plateau for participants taking amycretin, indicating the potential for further weight loss with extended use.
The study’s authors conclude that daily oral amylin treatment in adults with overweight or obesity and without diabetes demonstrated a safe and tolerable profile, aligning with the drug receptor classes, and resulted in significant reductions in body weight.
“A single molecule that targets both amylin and GLP-1 biology in a tablet form could provide a more convenient approach to improving outcomes for individuals with overweight or obesity.”
“However, larger and longer studies are necessary to fully evaluate the drug’s safety profile and potential.”
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