A new study has revealed that weight loss drugs that suppress appetite in order to aid the reduction may also cause digestive problems. According to the study, there is an increased risk of ailments like pancreatitis, gastroparesis, and bowel obstruction in patients who take GLP-1 medications.
Although the risk of getting these diseases is small, the increasing number of consumers of this drug can be a cause of concern.
“When you have millions of people using these drugs, you know, a 1 percent risk still translates to many people who may experience these events,” epidemiologist Mahyar Etminan, from the University of British Columbia, told CNN.
Weight loss treatments such as Wegovy, Ozempic, Saxenda, and Victoza follow this approach in which they slow the speed at which food passes through the stomach, keeping people feeling fuller for longer.
According to the drug companies, these side effects are well-known and they should be considered when consuming the medicines. However, they affect a small number of people.
Earlier this year, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled that Ozempic should come with a warning attached, indicating that a variety of “gastrointestinal disorders” had been reported by users.
“Given the wide use of these drugs, these adverse events, although rare, must be considered by patients who are contemplating using the drugs for weight loss because the risk-benefit calculus for this group might differ from that of those who use them for diabetes,” write the researchers in their published paper.
The findings of the study were published in JAMA journal.