A doctor explained the dangers of using a remedy for people with diabetes for weight loss

Using a drug based on the active substance semaglutide, which is prescribed to people with diabetes, citizens seeking to lose weight in this way may underestimate its contraindications. This was told to "Izvestia" on February 3, doctor-endocrinologist "INVITRO" Valeria Ivanitskaya. She also noted that, it is important that the drug was prescribed by a medic, and not used independently.

"Patients using the drug on their own may not change their eating style and physical activity, hoping for weight loss only with the help of the drug. All of this can lead to a loss of not only fat tissue but also muscle tissue. As a consequence, the basic metabolism may slow down, the composition of the body may deteriorate, which is not good for the whole body," she explained.

At the same time, she specified that there are patients who with the help of such drugs are trying to lose weight quickly by 10-20 kg in a couple of months. This also carries risks for health in general, as well as increases the chances of regaining even more weight. You should lose weight slowly, no more than 1 kg per week, or 5% of your total body weight in three months, the doctor emphasized.

"As for the independent use of such drugs in patients with normal body weight, I would like to clarify that the drug has not been studied on people with normal weight and all the positive effects of the drug were obtained only in patients with obesity and excess body weight," Ivanitskaya added.

There are also absolute contraindications to the use of the drug. These include medullary thyroid cancer in the anamnesis, including in relatives, multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2, type 1 diabetes mellitus, diabetic ketoacidosis, age under 18 years, severe hepatic insufficiency, terminal renal failure, chronic heart failure IV functional class, pregnancy, lactation.

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Earlier, on November 13, 2024, nutriciologist Veronika Gusakova told Izvestia that diets and improper lifestyle can interfere with weight loss. When the body does not get enough food, it begins to save energy, reduces the basal metabolism. This means that the body begins to use less energy to maintain vital functions such as breathing, circulation. A safe caloric deficit is 15% of daily energy expenditure, she explained.