A drug called semaglutide, approved for adults with fat or overweight, also helps Teenager lose weight and have a healthier heart, according to a new study. In an international phase 3a clinical trial, adolescents with obesity who received semaglutide once a week compared with placebo experienced a 16.1% reduction in obesity. body mass index (BMI) while the BMI of those taking the placebo increased by 0.6%. (Also read: Health tips for teenagers: 5 problems caused by obesity, how to lose weight )
“The prevalence of obesity is increasing, not just in the United States,” said senior author Silva Arslanian, MD, professor of pediatrics and clinical and epidemiological sciences and Richard L. Day Endowed Chair. States that around the world. University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. “Normally, we make lifestyle recommendations: Eat more vegetables; don’t eat fried food, don’t drink soda. But unfortunately we live in a very uncomfortable environment, so it’s possible It’s very difficult to make those changes. There’s a real need for safe and effective drugs to treat obesity.”
Semaglutide is an obesity drug that mimics a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 to target brain regions that reduce cravings and improve appetite control. In 2021, this drug was approved for chronic weight management in adults who are obese or overweight.
To assess whether semaglutide was effective in young people, researchers enrolled 201 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years who were obese or overweight at multiple centers. Participants received a subcutaneous injection of semaglutide 2.4 mg or placebo once a week, and all received a simultaneous lifestyle intervention – counseling on healthy nutrition and physical activity – throughout the process. test.
After 68 weeks, 72.5% of the semaglutide participants had lost at least 5% of their weight compared with just 17% of those taking a placebo.
Arslanian, director of the Pediatric Clinical and Translational Research Center and scientific director of the Pediatric Research Center for Obesity and Metabolism at Children’s Hospital Pittsburgh, said: truly amazing. “For a person who is 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighs 240 pounds, an average decrease in BMI equates to a loss of about 40 pounds.”
Obesity affects almost one in five children and adolescents worldwide. This chronic disease is associated with reduced life expectancy and a higher risk of developing serious health problems such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, sleep apnea and a number of cancers. Adolescents with obesity are also more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and other psychological problems.
The analysis showed that the semaglutide participants had improved cardiovascular risk factors, including waist circumference, a blood sugar reading called HbA1c, total, low and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and fat. neutrality and liver enzymes compared with the placebo group. However, there was no statistically significant difference in blood pressure or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol between the two groups.
Participants taking semaglutide also had better weight-related quality of life measures, mainly due to an increase in physical comfort scores, compared with those in the placebo group. their. The researchers note that this is the first obesity drug to be associated with such an improvement in quality of life in adolescents.
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