What is Liraglutide? The drug which could fight obesity
Are you looking for a solution to your weight problem? A new medication might be able to help...
Half of all adults in South Africa struggle with weight issues. Wits University reports that 23% of adult South Africans are overweight, while 27% are obese.
Amongst some of the things that cause weight gain are poor sleep, sedentary activities, and eating too many processed or sugary foods, according to Healthline.
Unfortunately, being overweight or obese greatly increases your risk of developing noncommunicable diseases.
READ: 'Pharmaceutical treatments and bariatric surgery effective in treating obesity'
Most people can lose weight by changing their lifestyles to include things like exercising and eating the right amount of nutritious foods while getting the recommended sleep.
But it seems there is new medication that might be able to treat obesity.
According to Healthline, a new study was presented at the American Chemical Society which showed how drug Liraglutide is being tested to see if it can treat chronic obesity.
The drug was tested on rats.
Rats on the drug ate up to 80% less than what they typically eat, contributing to their weight loss.
Dr Minisha Sood, an endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital, explained more about how the drug works.
“Activating brain regions that might have a profound appetite suppressant effect which would be yet another option in persons with obesity and upregulated appetite centers in the brain, especially those who do not respond to Diabetes medications, such as Trulicity or Ozempic, alone.
“Given it appears to have dual agnosticism properties, I would expect it to be even more effective than Ozempic, a single agonist, in appetite suppression,” Dr Sood said.
According to Healthline, 'the scientists have filed for a patent and plan to test the peptide in primates'.
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Disclaimer: Health-related information provided in this article is not a substitute for medical advice and should not be used to diagnose or treat health problems. It is always advisable to consult with your doctor on any health-related issues.