Semaglutide

What it is (in plain language)
- It's the substance behind Ozempic and Wegovy. It mimics a hormone that your body naturally produces to tell your brain that you're full. What's more, it slows down digestion and helps the pancreas release insulin only when it's needed, stabilising blood sugar.

Why do you appear online so much
- It has become a global cultural and medical phenomenon. It is now the gold standard for medical weight loss, with additional proven benefits in cardiovascular health and in reducing systemic inflammation.

How it is framed today (pragmatic view)
- 1) Evidence: World-class safety and efficacy data in millions of patients. 2) Objective: Control of glycaemia and sustained weight loss. 3) Risk: Gastrointestinal effects (nausea, constipation) are common at the start of treatment.

How to use this form
- See the 'Side Effects' tab for nutrition tips to help mitigate nausea.

- Quick profile (curated by Subject 157)
- Class: Metabolic
- Status: Verified
- Use case: Metabolic
- Route: Injectable
- Tags: Injectable|Fat Loss|Approved
- Half-life: ~7 Days
- Start: 24-48 hours
- Duration: 7 days

- Mechanism (high level)
Selective long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist. Increases glucose-dependent insulin secretion, inhibits glucagon and delays gastric emptying.

- Evidence (what the literature covers)
RESEARCH RANGE (Clinical, Non-prescriptive):
Approved (Ozempic/Wegovy). Doses from 0.25mg to 2.4mg weekly.
Level of Evidence: A.

- Safety and harm-reduction (non-prescriptive)
Risks: Nausea, diarrhoea, risk of pancreatitis (rare).
Interactions: Insulin, Sulphonylureas.

- References (anchors)
- Wilding, J. P. H. (2021) - Semaglutide 2.4 mg for obesity STEP-1 - https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183 | PubMed:33567185
- Marso, S. P. (2016) - Semaglutide cardiovascular outcomes SUSTAIN-6 - https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa1607141 | PubMed:27633186

Note: Educational/research content. Does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or prescription.