136 million US adults eligible for semaglutide shots: Study

[Lauren Taylor]

RESEARCHERS ESTIMATE 136 MILLION ADULTS OR ABOUT HALF THE U-S ADULT POPULATION ARE ELIGIBLE FOR SEMAGLUTIDE SHOTS LIKE OZEMPIC OR WEGOVY, ACCORDING TO A NEW STUDY PUBLISHED IN JAMA NETWORK THIS WEEK.

NEARLY 26,000 ADULTS PARTICIPATED IN THE STUDY WHICH FOUND 8,504 HUNDRED OF THEM WERE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE SEMAGLUTIDE SHOTS FOR DIABETES, WEIGHT MANAGEMENT AND-OR PREVENTING CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE.

SEMAGLUTIDE SHOTS TREAT TYPE 2 DIABETES BY INCREASING AN INDIVIDUAL’S  INSULIN LEVELS, ACCORDING TO THE MAYO CLINIC, AND MAY BE USED FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

RESEARCHERS FOUND THE MEAN AGE TO BE 50.7 YEARS AND 49.1% WERE WOMEN. THEY ALSO ESTIMATE “THAT MORE THAN 39 MILLION ADULTS QUALIFY FOR INDICATIONS OTHER THAN WEIGHT MANAGEMENT ALONE, A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE OVER THE ESTIMATED 15 MILLION CURRENTLY TAKING” THE MEDICATION.

NEARLY 40 MILLION ADULTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE MEDICATION TO TREAT DIABETES OR A SECONDARY PREVENTION OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE.

THE STUDY’S AUTHORS SAY BASED ON THEIR CALCULATIONS NEARLY 4.3 MILLION INDIVIDUALS WITHOUT DIABETES BUT WITH CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE MAY GAIN COVERAGE FOR THE MEDICATION.

THE RESEARCHERS SAY MORE THAN HALF OF US ADULTS WHO HAVE ALREADY TAKEN SEMAGLUTIDE MEDICATION SHARED THAT AFFORDABILITY OF THE MEDICATION IS A BARRIER TO ACCESSING IT AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE AN INCREASED EFFORT TO PROMOTE EQUITABLE ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED THE MEDICATION.

THE MAYO CLINIC LISTS A SLEW OF SIDE EFFECTS OF TAKING SEMAGLUTIDE MEDICATION WHICH CAN INCLUDE: BELCHING, EXCESS AIR OR GAS IN INTESTINES, STOMACH PAIN, BLURRED VISION, CONFUSION, LACK OF APPETITE, NAUSEA, VOMITING AMONG OTHERS.