Weight gain can lead to a variety of health conditions, like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome, as well as stressing your muscles and bones, which can cause pain and affect your mobility.
Since the pandemic there has been a 70% increase in weight gain, with 60% finding it increasingly difficult to manage their weight. Literally, millions of people are struggling to keep their weight under control.
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists are a class of type 2 diabetes drugs that not only improve blood sugar control but may also lead to weight loss. And this medication may help you on your journey to get healthier.
If you live in the Beverly Hills, California, area and you need help with weight loss, Dr. Shawn Veiseh and his skilled medical team at Shawn Veiseh, M.D. specialize in ways to help you lose weight and keep it off.
Let’s examine the benefits of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists by looking at the complications of being overweight, how GLP-1 Receptor Agonists work, and how they can improve your health.
Your body mass index (BMI) measures your height and weight to indicate the amount of body fat you carry. A healthy BMI is considered to be between 18.5-24.9. You are considered obese with a score of 3.0 or higher.
Several factors contribute to your weight, including family history, level of physical activity, underlying medical conditions, and dietary habits. Whatever the cause, excess weight carries with it the added risk of many complications, including stroke, gallbladder disease, fatty liver disease, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, arthritis, infertility, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.
Our bodies need blood sugar to fuel our cells and produce energy, but too much is harmful. Glucagon-like peptide 1, or GLP-1 receptor agonists are a class of medication that improves blood sugar control and helps with weight loss. This is because the drug mimics the glucagon-like peptide hormone, which helps your body produce more insulin to combat rising blood sugar levels after you eat.
There are different types of these agonists that can be short-acting or long-acting. The short-acting agonists are in your body for about a day (taken up to twice daily), and the long-acting agonists work for up to a week and control blood glucose all day and night.
This medication helps to slow down stomach emptying which reduces blood sugar spiking, increases the production of insulin which your body makes to regulate blood sugar, and reduces the amount of sugar released from your liver into your bloodstream.
With the exception of one, all agonists are taken by injection (oral semaglutide is in pill form) and are designed to be administered with little discomfort.
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists help reduce your weight in varying degrees depending on which one you’re using and the dosage. You can see a weight loss ranging from as low as 10.5 pounds to as much as 33 pounds (factoring in other lifestyle changes including increased exercise and improved diet).
In addition to helping with reducing weight and controlling blood sugar, these agonists also benefit heart health and kidney health in diabetics; and research shows it’s linked to reduced incidents of heart attacks.
Not everyone can benefit from these medications, as people with low blood sugar levels (hypotension) are at greater risk of side effects, and people dealing with a family history of medullary thyroid cancer or multiple endocrine neoplasia are not good candidates.
If you’re struggling to get the weight off and keep it off, Dr. Veiseh has a number of options to help and this medication can be a part of that solution.
So, if you’re ready to see some weight loss and better health, make an appointment with Dr. Veiseh today. Call our office or book online to get started.
