Last summer there were several reports of possible side effects after using the popular medicines Ozempic and Wegovy. Also here in Norway. The concerns were related to whether these drugs increased the risk of self-harm and suicidal thoughts. This in turn led to the European pharmaceutical authorities starting a separate investigation to find answers. But now American researchers may have gotten ahead of them. They have found that medication containing semaglutide, which helps regulate appetite and levels of insulin in the body, does not appear to increase the risk of such thoughts. Patients treated with drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy had up to a 73 percent lower risk of suicidal thoughts than people given other drugs, the researchers believe. The new study is published in Nature Medicine. Clear tendencies Ozempic is actually a medicine to help people with type 2 diabetes. Wegovy is made against obesity. But both contain semaglutide. According to the American researchers, this is the first study to thoroughly investigate whether there is a connection between semaglutide and suicidal thoughts. In the new study, the health records of nearly 250,000 Americans were examined. These were patients who were overweight and who were given semaglutide or other medications for weight loss. Among these, just under 10,000 people had a previous history of suicidal thoughts. In addition, around 1.5 million patients with type 2 diabetes were also examined. Patients receiving semaglutide for weight loss had a risk of suicidal ideation of 0.11 percent. For patients using other similar medications, without semaglutide, the risk was 0.43 percent. The same tendency is said to have also appeared among the patients with diabetes type 2. Have analyzed around 150 reports The reason why European pharmaceutical authorities are now investigating the same thing is about several reported incidents. When an unknown adverse event or a new aspect of a medicine is discovered, it requires further investigations, they write on their website. So far, they have collected and analyzed around 150 reports of possible cases of self-harm and suicidal thoughts. If this should have a connection, the findings will be listed as part of the side effects. The conclusion is expected during the spring. Then we will see if they arrive at the same result as the American researchers. I don’t think it has affected the use Sigurd Hortemo is a senior physician at the Norwegian Medicines Agency. He believes the new study will be a turning point when the European drug authorities have to draw conclusions. Hortemo further says that he does not believe this investigation has had consequences for the use of these medicines. – The investigation takes place according to standard procedure and has probably had little effect on the use of this type of medicine. A few inquiries Mari-Mette Graff is head of the National Association for the Obese. She says they have received a few inquiries regarding the topic. – There have not been very many concerns, nor very many who have reported that they have experienced it themselves. But yes, we have received some inquiries about unrest and very few feedbacks about our own experiences, she says. Graff further explains that everything that has an effect also often has a side effect. She believes the new study is important. – This is reassuring news, because we have previously been very clear that when medicine is approved for use, we must assume that it is safe. The new survey confirms such a starting point. – It is clear that if you are worried about your health, it does not help that you are also worried about the treatment, says Graff. Mari-Mette Graff is head of the National Association for the Obese in Norway. Photo: Maria Langaard Want better research The American research is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is part of the country’s Ministry of Health and Welfare. Now the researchers believe that the new results do not support concerns about increased suicide risk associated with semaglutide. They also believe there is a need for a more detailed evaluation of the reported cases.
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Ozempic and the slimming medicine Wegovy should reduce the risk of suicidal thoughts – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
