Category Archives: obesity

Six Updates on Weight Loss Drugs

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Six updates on weight loss drugs:

1. Eli Lilly is now selling single-dose vials of Zepbound for about half of its usual monthly list price through its direct-to-consumer platform LillyDirect. The drugmaker is offering a four-week supply of 2.5-milligram vials for $399 and 5-milligram single-dose vials for $549. In comparison, the list prices for GLP-1 weight loss drugs are typically about $1,000 a month.

2. Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen defended the cost of Wegovy this week, arguing it will lower obesity care costs for patients and employers, NBC Nightly News reported Aug. 25. Last year, obesity care costs totalled more than $400 billion. Mr. Jørgensen told the outlet that employers and patients may see lower medical costs, disability payments, workers’ compensation and absenteeism as people lose weight on the medications. He also noted that more than 80% of insured Americans pay $25 or less for a month’s supply. 

3. Recent studies have highlighted significant economic and racial disparities in access to GLP-1 weight loss drugs, The Washington Post reported Aug. 19. Lower-income and Black and Hispanic populations have higher rates of obesity and Type 2 diabetes but face significant barriers due to high costs and limited insurance coverage, according to the report. 

4. GLP-1s may reduce mortality and severe cardiovascular complications in patients with obesity, according to a study published Aug. 22 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.  

5. GLP-1s may also help improve medication adherence rates among heart patients, Jeffrey Wessler, MD, a cardiologist at New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health, toldBecker’s.

“In my view, and I think where the evidence is bringing us, is that what started as a medication for diabetics and weight loss is quickly becoming probably one of the best cardiac medications that exists,” he said. “That’s for a fairly simple reason, which is that it may be the first medication that patients actually want to take because it has this amazing side effect of losing weight.” 

6. Some physicians are growing more comfortable prescribing compounded versions of Wegovy and Zepbound amid shortages of the brand-name versions, according to anecdotal reports shared with NBC News. Though the FDA permits licensed compounding pharmacies to produce medications during shortages, some physicians remain skeptical, citing concerns that the agency does not regulate or test the active ingredients used by these pharmacies.

Lower Cost GLP1 Medication through LillyDirect

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Bypassing the Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBM’s)?

Eli Lilly announced that it would start selling low doses of its weight-loss drug Zepbound in vials, too — at a far lower price than its pens, which come with pre-filled doses. These vials will be made available only through LillyDirect, a telehealth platform the company launched in January that connects patients with providers who can prescribe obesity drugs. Like compounded drugs prescribed by online startups, Zepbound vials can be delivered right to patients’ doors.

Doctors Wish More People Over 65 Took Ozempic

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Insurance hurdles and worries about muscle loss mean fewer older patients are using weight-loss drugs

Millions of people are flocking to drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to lose weight and treat health problems. Doctors say one group that could benefit from the drugs is missing out: seniors.

For older people, these medications can help in ways that go beyond losing weight, physicians say. Fewer pounds can lead to more mobility and better balance, allowing older people to become more active. That can boost mood, overall health, and sometimes makes the difference between walking freely or using a wheelchair or cane.

https://apple.news/Aiz7CIM58Qv-tvbGUuElibQ

Ozempic and cancer: What to know

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Labels for GLP-1 medications, like Ozempic and Mounjaro, might see more approved uses as researchers study the drugs’ effects on sleep apnea, dementia and other health issues. Meanwhile, oncologists are looking at a GLP-1 role in cancer care.

Several studies have shown the therapies — currently approved for Type 2 diabetes and weight loss — can diminish the risk of multiple cancers:

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/glp-1s/ozempic-and-cancer-what-to-know.html?origin=BHRE

Oral formulation of Dual GLP/GIP Drug in the Pipeline

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In early 2023, Viking started a Phase 1 clinical study on the oral formulation of VK2735. The 28-day study showed that taking oral VK2735 led to noticeable weight loss. Participants who took VK2735 lost up to 5.3% of their body weight. Compared to those who took a placebo (a pill with no medicine), VK2735 users lost up to 3.3% more weight. Even after stopping the medicine, the weight loss effect continued for six more days, with participants losing up to 3.6% more than those on placebo. About 57% of people taking VK2735 lost at least 5% of their body weight in 28 days, while no one in the placebo group did. Viking believes that taking VK2735 for more than 28 days could lead to even more weight loss.

VK2735 also showed good safety and tolerability over the 28 days of daily dosing. Most side effects were mild, with 76% being mild and 24% moderate. For stomach-related side effects, 79% were mild. Some people (14%) had mild nausea, but no one vomited. One person had diarrhea, compared to two people in the placebo group. Overall, there were no significant differences in stomach problems between those taking VK2735 and the placebo. No serious side effects have been reported.

Mounjaro/Zepbound beat Ozempic/Wegovy in the obesity race, resulting in greater weight loss and no difference in side effects.

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Semaglutide vs Tirzepatide for Weight Loss in Adults With Overweight or Obesity

After a full year of evaluation, patients taking Mounjaro lost 15.3% of their starting weight, compared to almost half of that — 8.3% — while taking Ozempic for 12 months.

“Individuals with overweight or obesity treated with tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) were significantly more likely to achieve clinically meaningful weight loss and larger reductions in body weight compared with those treated with semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy),” the authors wrote. 

In this large clinical analysis of US adults with overweight or obesity who initiated tirzepatide or semaglutide treatment, those receiving tirzepatide were more likely to achieve 5% or greater, 10% or greater, and 15% or greater weight loss and experienced larger reductions in body weight at 3, 6, and 12 months. To our knowledge, this study represents the first clinical comparative effectiveness study of tirzepatide and semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2821080

Exercise for aging people: where to begin, and how to minimize risk while maximizing potential

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In this special episode, Peter addresses the common questions about starting or returning to an exercise routine over the age of 50. Individuals in this age group have frequently reached out with questions about whether it’s too late to start exercising and often express concern over a lack of prior training, a fear of injury, or uncertainty about where to begin.


Fat-free mass (FFM) and physical activity level (PAL) throughout life in females (left) and males (right). 

Peter delves into the importance of fitness for older adults, examining all four pillars of exercise, and provides practical advice on how to start exercising safely, minimize injury risk, and maximize potential benefits. Although this conversation focuses on people in the “older” age category, it also applies to anyone of any age who is deconditioned and looking to ease into regular exercise.

#307 ‒ Exercise for aging people: where to begin, and how to minimize risk while maximizing potential | Peter Attia, M.D.

Mounjaro, Zepbound Help Sleep Apnea

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A popular obesity drug may help treat a dangerous disorder in which people struggle to breathe while they sleep, a new study finds.

Tirzepatide, the medication in the weight-loss drug Zepbound and also the diabetes treatment Mounjaro, appeared to reduce the severity of sleep apnea along with reducing weight and improving blood pressure and other health measures in patients with obesity who took the drug for a year.

https://apnews.com/article/sleep-apnea-tirzepatide-obesity-cpap-3872cf70f3e3b385fe98f83afaadc91e

Body mass index or BMI Falling out of favor

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Body mass index was first developed in 1832 and has been the standard way to estimate a person’s body fat since the 1980s. The calculation, however, has come under increasing scrutiny in recent years.

One major critique of BMI is that it doesn’t look at how much of a person’s weight is fat, and where fat is distributed around the body. It also doesn’t take into account the other elements that make up a person’s body composition beyond fat, including muscle, bone, water and organs.

“Fat distribution and body composition can vary dramatically among different people with the same BMI,” Wenquan Niu, a professor at the Capital Institute of Pediatrics in Beijing, wrote in an email.

Because muscle is much denser than fat, BMI skews higher in people who are very muscular but have less body fat, like athletes https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/bmi-flaws-body-roundness-index-better-rcna155898

Probiotics from Pendulum Life

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Want to reduce food cravings, lose weight and improve glucose control?

The GLP-1 Probiotic is formulated with beneficial bacterial strains that naturally increase GLP-1, the ‘un-hunger’ hormone that helps curb cravings and appetite. Presently at the time of this post, the Pendulum Probiotics are the only ones that have had double blind research with publications in peer-reviewed medical journals.

Dr. Peter Attia has a ‘must-listen-to’ podcast with all the details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th3UwC10EZU

There is also a company webinar that is very informative:

You can also use your FSA or HSA account as payment too. Certainly worth a try if you are serious about your health. More information at the Pendulum Life website:

https://pendulumlife.com/