Semaglutide, used in combination with a diet and exercise program, helps control blood sugar levels and decrease the risk of heart attack or stroke in patients who have type-2 diabetes. Semaglutide is not used for type-1 diabetes, a genetic autoimmune condition in which the body prevents the pancreas from producing insulin, and it is also not an effective treatment for diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious condition that can arise when high blood sugar is not addressed. Type-2 diabetes, the type that affects more than 90% of patients with diabetes, develops when the body loses the ability to produce sufficient amounts of insulin, or when the insulin that is produced doesn’t function properly.
This process occurs more frequently in patients with obesity, and people from some ethnic backgrounds are also more prone to developing type-2 diabetes than others. While neither type of diabetes can be cured, in many cases, type-2 diabetes can go into remission and be prevented from recurring.
A semaglutide injection isn’t a replacement for insulin in diabetic patients. Instead, the drug is used in conjunction with a customized diet that is low in calories and fat and an individualized exercise program. When used to address the obesity that is often the main contributing factor for type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, semaglutide can prevent and manage these conditions. Semaglutide belongs to a medical class known as incretin mimetics.
This meant that they mimic the function of insulin, assisting the pancreas in lowering elevated blood sugar levels. In the human body, insulin encourages the removal of sugar from the blood and helps it move into the rest of the body’s tissues, which rely on it for energy. Semaglutide injections also help slow the rate at which food moves through the stomach and digestive system, which decreases appetite; as a result, as it supports or facilitates the body’s natural processes, semaglutide helps with weight loss.
When patients with type-2 diabetes don’t treat their condition, they often develop complications that can be life-threatening, like stroke, heart disease, nerve damage, certain kidney conditions, and problems with their eyes.
To most effectively treat obesity and prevent or treat type-2 diabetes, medications like semaglutide should be used as part of a holistic treatment that includes lifestyle changes like dietary modifications, exercise routines, and quitting smoking, focusing on improving the overall health and not just on weight loss. This type of therapy can help decrease the risk of complications associated with diabetes, such as kidney failure, stroke or heart attack, eye damage, or loss of circulation to the legs or feet.
The semaglutide injection is delivered in a pre-measured dosing pen, inserted under the skin and injected once weekly. Your doctor may start you out with a lower dose of the medication, increasing the dosage incrementally as dictated by your body’s reaction to the medication. While semaglutide injections can help patients lose weight and control their diabetes, the treatment is not a cure, and its benefits may reverse when treatment is discontinued.
For many patients, however, the healthy, effective exercise habits and dietary changes made during treatment continue once treatment has stopped, helping keep the patient’s weight down and, if applicable, keeping their diabetes in remission and their overall health in optimal condition.