[Wadden STEP 3, JAMA 2021] STEP 5 Trial (Nature Medicine 2022) Long-term data: patients maintained an average 15.2% weight loss over 2 years of continuous semaglutide use, with sustained metabolic improvements including reduced HbA1c, blood pressure, and waist circumference
Strengths Short-term analyses, such as ours, have several advantages over long-term analyses
GLP-1s can induce side effects like nausea, diarrhea, or headaches
However, semaglutide does delay gastric emptying, which could theoretically affect absorption of oral medications, though UK product information indicates no clinically relevant effect for most oral medicines
This is particularly relevant for women with irregular menstrual cycles, PCOS, or other reproductive conditions, and for men with known semen abnormalities
This potential side effect may also be a good reminder that Ozempic is inappropriate for people who do not have a good medical reason to lose weight