Semaglutide - Cardiovascular Protection

[Gyakuto]

A large study on the effects of semaglutide strongly suggests it protects people from myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accident beyond the weight loss benefits it provides! It may be as significant as statins have been in reducing heart disease!

What the results of Wegovy’s longest clinical trial yet show about weight loss, side effects and heart protection

New analyses of the longest clinical trial yet of the weight-loss drug Wegovy are shedding light on how quickly it helps people lose weight, how long they sustain that weight loss and how safe the medicine is over four years of use.

www.yahoo.com

https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2024.04.022

 

[Bill Mattocks]

A large study on the effects of semaglutide strongly suggests it protects people from myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accident beyond the weight loss benefits it provides! It may be as significant as statins have been in reducing heart disease!

What the results of Wegovy’s longest clinical trial yet show about weight loss, side effects and heart protection

New analyses of the longest clinical trial yet of the weight-loss drug Wegovy are shedding light on how quickly it helps people lose weight, how long they sustain that weight loss and how safe the medicine is over four years of use.

www.yahoo.com

https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2024.04.022

I've been following this news. It is possible that other GLP-1 agonists such as Tirzepatide (Mounjaro), which I take, may offer the same cardiac benefits; studies are ongoing. As a heart patient with heart failure and Atrial Fibrillation, I'm very interested. I also take a statin, and Metformin, so I have a bunch of 'miracle drugs' working for me, much good it's done.

On the other hand, I have currently been without Mounjaro for over a month, as there is a nationwide shortage. The same is true of Semaglutide. It seems that the popularity of these drugs for weight loss have caused a nationwide run on them, and the manufacturers are completely out for people who need them diabetes such as my wife and myself.

This is the new reality of prescription drugs. In addition to the nearly 10,000 dollar cost PER MONTH of my diabetes and heart medications (currently covered minus the first $6K per year by my insurance), many drugs are in short supply currently. Some of my drugs are literally life-threatening if I suddenly withdraw from them, and yet that is exactly what is happening. My wife spends a good part of her day calling around to all the pharmacies in a 100 mile radius tracking down the prescription drugs we need. What a world.

 

[Gyakuto]

I've been following this news. It is possible that other GLP-1 agonists such as Tirzepatide (Mounjaro), which I take, may offer the same cardiac benefits; studies are ongoing.

Yes, I thinkmit is GLP-1agonists that have this beneficial effect.

As a heart patient with heart failure and Atrial Fibrillation, I'm very interested. I also take a statin, and Metformin, so I have a bunch of 'miracle drugs' working for me, much good it's done.

Well it’s impossible to know how you’d be if you weren’t taking those drugs.

On the other hand, I have currently been without Mounjaro for over a month, as there is a nationwide shortage. The same is true of Semaglutide. It seems that the popularity of these drugs for weight loss have caused a nationwide run on them, and the manufacturers are completely out for people who need them diabetes such as my wife and myself.

That’s very surprising. They can be obtained here on the NHS but it’s useful to order them at least a week before the patient needs them. Our pharmacists do all the phoning around to obtain them.

This is the new reality of prescription drugs. In addition to the nearly 10,000 dollar cost PER MONTH of my diabetes and heart medications (currently covered minus the first $6K per year by my insurance), many drugs are in short supply currently.

It’s the same here in the U.K. but I thought this was due to Brexit; we’re at the end of the very end of the queue when the EU is handing out stuff so we do miss out on the more important items.

Some of my drugs are literally life-threatening if I suddenly withdraw from them, and yet that is exactly what is happening.

I know of people being unable to obtain chemotherapy medication for their cancer treatments result in a delay to their treatment. Also anti-epileptic and HRT drugs are in short supply.

My wife spends a good part of her day calling around to all the pharmacies in a 100 mile radius tracking down the prescription drugs we need. What a world.

My neighbour discovered a breast lump last week. She had all her investigations performed, CT scan, staging report, Pick line insertion and then her first dose of chemo yesterday…7 days after she discovered it! I was very impressed.

 

[Gyakuto]

There is now evidence semaglutide may reduce cancer risk by a fifth!

 

[Bill Mattocks]

There is now evidence semaglutide may reduce cancer risk by a fifth!

I am hoping to hear similar news about tirzepatide soon, since it is also a GLP-1 agonist. In the meantime, I'm consoled by the fact that Metformin is shaping up to be a bloody wonder drug in a class with aspirin. I take 2,000 MG a day.

 

[Gyakuto]

I am hoping to hear similar news about tirzepatide soon, since it is also a GLP-1 agonist. In the meantime, I'm consoled by the fact that Metformin is shaping up to be a bloody wonder drug in a class with aspirin. I take 2,000 MG a day.

I’m sure it has the same effects since it’s a very similar drug in terms of stereochemistry. You’ll live until you 150, Bill…doubly explosively incontinent, but 150 nevertheless.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I’m sure it has the same effects since it’s a very similar drug in terms of stereochemistry. You’ll live until you 150, Bill…doubly explosively incontinent, but 150 nevertheless.

I hope not. I can't afford to live much past 70.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

@Gyakuto, you express shock, but please understand I have no death wish. What I do have is a desire to protect my wife from being bankrupted by my medical expenses in the last few years of life. In the USA, those are the most expensive days of one's life; not to mention the most painful and humiliating. I would prefer to be hit by a bus while I am still ambulatory, given the choice. What would I miss? The adult-diaper wearing, dialysis and wheelchair days of being fed through a tube and drooling on myself, whilst my retirement nest egg vanishes into the pockets of businesses who pay their executives in amounts that exceed the budget of many countries, whilst leaving my wife in penury? I think I'll pass, thanks.

 

[Gyakuto]

Ozempic May Reduce Alzheimer's Risk - Neuroscience News

The research followed over 88,000 individuals for up to ten years, showing a 30% lower risk compared to sulfonylureas and a 23% lower risk compared to DPP-4 inhibitors.

neurosciencenews.com

 

[Gyakuto]

Weight-loss drug effective in treating apnea, study finds - UPI.com

U.S.-led international trials treating obstructive sleep apnea using type 2 diabetic medication may offer new hope for sufferers of the sleep disorder, thought to number almost 1 billion worldwide, a new study says.

www.upi.com

 

[Bujingodai]

@Gyakuto, you express shock, but please understand I have no death wish. What I do have is a desire to protect my wife from being bankrupted by my medical expenses in the last few years of life. In the USA, those are the most expensive days of one's life; not to mention the most painful and humiliating. I would prefer to be hit by a bus while I am still ambulatory, given the choice. What would I miss? The adult-diaper wearing, dialysis and wheelchair days of being fed through a tube and drooling on myself, whilst my retirement nest egg vanishes into the pockets of businesses who pay their executives in amounts that exceed the budget of many countries, whilst leaving my wife in penury? I think I'll pass, thanks.

I was just preaching as this the other day. The humiliation I went through while I was off work sick. Waiting for tests and what not. To really still to this day have no answer. Now on whatever drug for the rest of my life. The struggle and frankly now seeing that I won't be able to retire while putting 14% of my income into my retirement for a long time.

My insurance company said to maybe put off my age 67 plan date til 72. LOL. How worth it. Be better off just leaving that for my wife.

And frankly I'm in Canada, where we don't pay for the doctors, but the doctors we have are garbage and the wait isn't worth it.
I'd get on the Ozempic but I couldn't afford my wife and myself on it. Seems to work for her though I hate not seeing her eat a normal meal.

 

[HighKick]

@Gyakuto, you express shock, but please understand I have no death wish. What I do have is a desire to protect my wife from being bankrupted by my medical expenses in the last few years of life. In the USA, those are the most expensive days of one's life; not to mention the most painful and humiliating. I would prefer to be hit by a bus while I am still ambulatory, given the choice. What would I miss? The adult-diaper wearing, dialysis and wheelchair days of being fed through a tube and drooling on myself, whilst my retirement nest egg vanishes into the pockets of businesses who pay their executives in amounts that exceed the budget of many countries, whilst leaving my wife in penury? I think I'll pass, thanks.

I agree with you, Sir.

 

[HighKick]

Weight-loss drug effective in treating apnea, study finds - UPI.com

U.S.-led international trials treating obstructive sleep apnea using type 2 diabetic medication may offer new hope for sufferers of the sleep disorder, thought to number almost 1 billion worldwide, a new study says.

www.upi.com

It is Not the drug specifically, but the obvious effects of weight loss.

 

[JowGaWolf]

On the other hand, I have currently been without Mounjaro for over a month, as there is a nationwide shortage. The same is true of Semaglutide. It seems that the popularity of these drugs for weight loss have caused a nationwide run on them

I don't understand this craze of taking drugs for weight loss.

 

[Gyakuto]

I don't understand this craze of taking drugs for weight loss.

Then you don’t understand human nature.

 

[JowGaWolf]

Then you don’t understand human nature.

That sounds about right.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I don't understand this craze of taking drugs for weight loss.

I do. Several reasons I can think of.

One is that our society places a high value on people who are not overweight. Those who are clinically obese face various forms of discrimination from society, including in hiring and continued employment, dating, and even casual interaction. We even had a member here for years who very explicitly stated that he hated fat people and thought they deserved all the medical issues the obese face - he may still be around, I don't know because I blocked him.

Two is that losing weight isn't easy for many people. They diet, they starve themselves, they go through cycles of losing weight and gaining it back. They face medical conditions that force them to be sedentary, and many have mental issues that drive them to eat to excess. These are all real issues; and in many cases, it's made worse because people who do not have these issues refuse to accept that others might. "Well, *I'm* not fat, so there is no reason *you* are fat."

Now, after all the diets have failed and all the weight lost has been gained back, a simple once-a-week injection comes along that absolutely cuts hunger. I can testify to that. Since beginning Mounjaro, I frequently miss meals because I forget to eat; I'm not only not hungry, I don't get the light-headed "I need to eat something" physical symptoms. When I do eat, I feel full very quickly, and if I force myself to eat what would have formerly been a normal portion for me, I feel very sick afterwards; in other words, it's teaching me not to overeat, because I'll be punished if I do.

What obese person would not want that? I can't blame them at all. But I did face nearly two months without my diabetes medication because of it. Fortunately it appears to be back in stock at my pharmacist.

You might recall Fen-Fen of a decade or so ago. It also produced dramatic results, but as it turns out, it damaged people's heart valves. Many were willing to take the risk; that's how hard society is on fat people.

We're all aware (most of us anyway) that it's wrong to hate people of different colors and religions. Most of us have gotten over hatred of people with different sexualities. But it's still A-OK to discriminate against the fat and the old; and there is a lot of right-out-in-the-open hatred of those people.

 

[Gyakuto]

I do. Several reasons I can think of.

One is that our society places a high value on people who are not overweight. Those who are clinically obese face various forms of discrimination from society, including in hiring and continued employment, dating, and even casual interaction. We even had a member here for years who very explicitly stated that he hated fat people and thought they deserved all the medical issues the obese face - he may still be around, I don't know because I blocked him.

Two is that losing weight isn't easy for many people. They diet, they starve themselves, they go through cycles of losing weight and gaining it back. They face medical conditions that force them to be sedentary, and many have mental issues that drive them to eat to excess. These are all real issues; and in many cases, it's made worse because people who do not have these issues refuse to accept that others might. "Well, *I'm* not fat, so there is no reason *you* are fat."

Now, after all the diets have failed and all the weight lost has been gained back, a simple once-a-week injection comes along that absolutely cuts hunger. I can testify to that. Since beginning Mounjaro, I frequently miss meals because I forget to eat; I'm not only not hungry, I don't get the light-headed "I need to eat something" physical symptoms. When I do eat, I feel full very quickly, and if I force myself to eat what would have formerly been a normal portion for me, I feel very sick afterwards; in other words, it's teaching me not to overeat, because I'll be punished if I do.

What obese person would not want that? I can't blame them at all. But I did face nearly two months without my diabetes medication because of it. Fortunately it appears to be back in stock at my pharmacist.

You might recall Fen-Fen of a decade or so ago. It also produced dramatic results, but as it turns out, it damaged people's heart valves. Many were willing to take the risk; that's how hard society is on fat people.

We're all aware (most of us anyway) that it's wrong to hate people of different colors and religions. Most of us have gotten over hatred of people with different sexualities. But it's still A-OK to discriminate against the fat and the old; and there is a lot of right-out-in-the-open hatred of those people.

That’s what I said, didn’t I?

 

[Gyakuto]

But it's still A-OK to discriminate against the fat and the old; and there is a lot of right-out-in-the-open hatred of those people.

I think the differences are that many people perceive obesity to be a ‘self-inflicted’ condition whereas sexuality and colour are not chosen.

I’ve been heavier due to many reasons, but at some point I looked at the scales and my clothes and thought , ‘I need to stop this before it becomes a problem’ and with great effort, determination and indeed suffering, I somehow did.

An ignorant person of the sort you describe would say, “Why can’t every fat person do that? Gyakuto is clearly a very cool guy” but the operative word is ‘ignorant’ (except in their judgement of character, of course).

 

[isshinryuronin]

“Why can’t every fat person do that?" (Gyakuto)

That's what I thought until I tried to do that. Just exercise and eat less. The eating less part is harder by far.

I’ve been heavier due to many reasons, but at some point I looked at the scales and my clothes and thought , ‘I need to stop this before it becomes a problem’ and with great effort, determination and indeed suffering, I somehow did.

I spent my first 25 years trying to gain weight, the last 25 trying to lose it. The happy medium snuck by me during the 20 years in between. Another 6-8 pounds off after giving up the crap I love so much and I'll be happy. Till then it'll be a test of will power.