Celebrities have been quietly taking advantage of the weight loss effects of drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy for months, showing off their rapidly shrinking waistlines on social media. Now, researchers say that those new svelte frames could be coming at a deadly cost, and they're cautioning some against using the drug at all.
The drugs were originally intended for use by type 2 diabetics.
These types of drugs were originally designed to help people manage their blood sugar through diet, using replicated GLP-1 hormones that made users feel fuller for longer, the Daily Mail reported.
This quickly translated into a quick fix for celebrities looking to rapidly cut weight or those who struggled to keep weight off.
Instead, those replicated hormones may be doing damage to the small intestine.
Some people are sounding the alarm after discovering that mice involved in the original studies have gone on to experience potentially deadly intestinal enlargements at the 20-month mark.
Researchers in China are pointing out that the studies completed ahead of the drug's approval stopped at just 16 months, well before the side effects began presenting.
In fact, humans taking the drug may be up to four times more likely to suffer from complications.
This is scary news for celebrities who have been rumored to be taking the drug over the past year — such as Khloé Kardashian, Chelsea Handler, and Elon Musk — who may not have known exactly what drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy were capable of when they began using them to kick start their weight loss plans.
Scientists are advising doctors to be a bit more careful about who they prescribe the drugs to.
"Because [this class of drugs] could cause continuous increases in the intestinal length and villus height, the small intestine may become as inelastic … leading to long-term upper intestinal obstruction," they shared in a statement.
This news has prompted researchers to caution doctors against prescribing the meds to anyone who is prone to suffering intestinal blockages, amongst other things, according to the Daily Mail.
This is just the latest cautionary tale coming out about the miracle weight loss cure.
Although some people, such as Rosie O'Donnell, have had great success with the medication when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight, doctors are urging people to become familiar with some of the potential downsides.
In February, the Daily Mail reported that doctors were claiming some patients showed more muscle loss than fat loss while using the drug.
Still, there are others yet who say that when used by its intended population, these medications can be a literal lifesaver. We just hope everyone taking Ozempic and Wegovy is getting educated about some of the possible negative outcomes.
