How effective is the use of semaglutide for weight loss in normal individuals

The effect of semaglutide is generally good, often having a hypoglycemic effect and helping to improve obesity, but it is necessary to strictly follow the doctor's guidance when using the medication.

The weight loss effect of metformin can last for at least 4 years. At the 2024 European Obesity Conference held in Venice, Italy, two landmark research results were presented. These two important studies were based on the largest and longest clinical trial of the influence of smeglutide on weight for more than 17000 obese or overweight adults without diabetes. The research results showed that the weight loss in the group treated with semaglutide lasted for more than 65 weeks and lasted for up to 4 years.

However, there are issues with the persistence of using semaglutide. With the extension of follow-up time, the proportion of patients who persisted in using semaglutide significantly decreased. For example, at 3 months, 44% of the participants in the entire cohort were still using it consistently; By 6 months, the proportion had decreased to 33%; After one year, only 19% of patients still insist on taking it. The potential adverse reactions caused by semaglutide, such as increased risk of gastrointestinal diseases such as pancreatitis, gastroparesis, and intestinal obstruction, have also received attention.

In China, the oral preparation of smeglutide has been approved for marketing to treat type 2 diabetes, but has not been approved for weight loss indication.