Jim Purdington thought there must be something wrong with the blood test.
As he scrolled through the results, he looked for familiar abnormalities such as fatty liver, high blood pressure, and blood sugar levels that could be considered pre-diabetes.
He double-checked the name at the top of the file and looked over it again. But it all looked great.
“This can’t be me,” said the 63-year-old man from West Bloomfield. “I watched it again and literally started crying. I thought this was unbelievable.”
With the help of a drug called Wegobee, Mr. Perdington, who weighs 343 pounds, lost more than 80 pounds in about a year and a half. Not only did he like what he saw on the scale, but how he felt, and working with Kirstin Zalesin, Ph.D., director of obesity medicine at the Beaumont Weight Management Center, was in his future prospects. I like what you mean.
“It changed my life,” he said. “It’s been a hard time for me. Don’t get me wrong, but let me tell you, she saved my life in many ways.”
Wegovy and Ozempic are brand names for a drug called semaglutide, which was originally developed to control blood sugar levels in adults with diabetes. However, it has also been shown to be beneficial for weight loss in non-diabetics.
This shot works by mimicking hormones that target areas of the brain to regulate appetite and food intake. These can slow the movement of food through the stomach, reduce appetite, and alert the pancreas to reduce sugar storage.
Wegovy received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in June 2021. Within a year, weight loss success stories by Weekly Shot users grew in popularity.
“When I told my patients about this, they looked at me like I was going crazy because I had to inject myself,” Zalesin said. “But the public seems to be more open about it. Now many times they come and ask me directly about it.”
“I think it was fueled by stories in Hollywood and stories in Silicon Valley about Elon Musk and other celebrities using it. Many people have become familiar with them and have come to feel a sense of security.”
In a 68-week study of 1,961 obese or overweight adults, participants were given either Wegovy or a placebo and were instructed on a low-calorie diet plan and increased physical activity. . People who received Wegovy lost about 15% of their body weight, while those who received placebo in this study lost an average of about 2.5%.
According to the FDA, an estimated 70% of American adults are obese or overweight. Obesity is associated with an increased risk of health complications such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers.
On the other hand, a 5% to 10% weight loss through diet and exercise in adults has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Zalesin said these weight loss drugs are very useful and complement other obesity management and weight loss methods. This includes patients who had previously undergone bariatric surgery and subsequently struggled to put the weight back on.
“If you’re hungry all the time, or if you’re just trying to control hunger and build strength and endure without eating more to lose weight, you’re going to fail eventually because your biology is Because they are very powerful beings,” she said. “If we can turn biology in our favor, it will be easier for us to do what we seek to lose weight.”
Wegovy can be prescribed to patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 or greater and at least one weight-related condition, or a BMI of 30 or greater.
Once the patient reaches the goals of the weight loss plan, the doctor can stop taking the drug or reduce the dose. Appetite is expected to return when the drug is stopped, so it is important to adopt a healthier diet and exercise plan at the same time as the injection.
Due to its growing popularity, there was also a national shortage of the drug. As of Wednesday, May 10, both Ozempic and Wegovy are listed as “currently out of stock,” according to the FDA.
Mike Crow, president of the Michigan Pharmacists Association, recalled a massive drug shortage in 2022 when he ran a community-based specialty pharmacy. Zalesin said he still hears about shortages, although they have decreased in recent months.
The biggest hurdle to securing drugs may not be supply, but cost. Patients can be forced to charge $1,000 or more per month as many insurance plans deny coverage for cosmetics and drugs that are considered optional.
That poses a potential challenge for Mr. Purdington, who recently retired from his previous job and is looking to change insurance companies. He doesn’t know if his Wegovy, which he has been using for about 18 months, will be included in the new coverage.
“Most people wouldn’t be able to afford it if they didn’t have insurance or weren’t covered by insurance,” he said.
Perdington’s weight dropped to about 260 pounds. He does get stagnant at times along the way, but with the help of nearly daily exercise, eating less, and his weekly Wegovy shots, he still hopes to drop below 250 pounds.
If his new insurance company doesn’t cover the drug or similar substitutes, he’ll likely be back on his own to lose weight. It’s a battle he prepared for, but he hopes it won’t be.
“Worst case scenario, if no one covered it, I would have to do it the hard way,” he said. “If we keep these drugs away from obese patients, and without help, they will come back with diabetes and amputations, and they will pay the price in the long run.” I don’t want to go.”
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