Young people’s use of diabetes and weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy is surging, especially among females ages 18 to 25.
Researchers have clocked a rapid surge of young people receiving popular diabetes and weight loss drugs.
From 2020 to 2023, the number of U.S. adolescents and young adults who picked up prescriptions for Ozempic, Wegovy and related drugsThat spike “palpably feels like a massive increase,” says Joyce Lee, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor. In comparison, the number of young people receiving other medications stayed relatively flat over the same period.
Lee’s team wanted to find out what was happening in the real world: Who was actually receiving these drugs? The researchers analyzed information about people ages 12 to 25 using a database that reports prescriptions from U.S. pharmacies. From 2020 to 2023, scientists saw a rapid rise in the number of young adults who receive GLP-1 drugs. More than three times as many females ages 18 to 25 received the drugs than males of the same age .
Lee wants to learn more about the medications’ safety, side effects and how well they work over time. Clinical trials have shown that the drugs can spur weight loss, she says, “but we don’t know what the long-term effects are.”
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Novo Nordisk To Slash Prices On Buzzy Drugs Ozempic and WegovyScience and Technology News and Videos
Read more »
Hims & Hers rolls out weight-loss shots much cheaper than Ozempic, WegovyHealth and wellness company Hims & Hers announced Monday that it is introducing injectable weight-loss drugs at a fraction of the cost of Ozempic and Wegovy.
Read more »
Nestle to launch food products that cater to Wegovy and Ozempic usersVital Pursuit will include whole-grain bowls, protein pasta, sandwich melts and gluten-free options.
Read more »
Nestle Set to Sell $5 Pizza, Sandwiches for Wegovy, Ozempic UsersNestle will market a new, $5 line of frozen pizzas and protein-enriched pastas in the United States which it says it designed specifically for people taking drugs such as...
Read more »
Novo Nordisk announces $6B investment in Ozempic, Wegovy amid shortagesNovo Nordisk's Negelle Morris spoke exclusively with ABC News.
Read more »
Sanders Launches Probe of 'Outrageously Overpriced' Ozempic and WegovyBrett Wilkins is a staff writer for Common Dreams.
Read more »