Other Uses of Semaglutide
Imagine my surprise when, on my last doctor visit to check up on my Parkinson’s Disease, my doctor suggested a small dose of semaglutide (the generic form of Ozempic and Wegovy). Now, I’m 140 pounds soaking wet, and am the last person to be on a weight-loss drug. But as I did more research, I began to see my doctor’s rationale.
Semaglutide is what is known by the unwieldy name of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist, or GLP-1RA. By now, its effectiveness as a weight loss drug is well known, as is its mechanism of action. By increasing the receptor sites of glucagon (a natural hormone secreted by the intestinal tract in response to eating, causing the appetite to decrease and food to move slower through the system) it effectively lowers the activity of glucagon. The result is less appetite, less food absorption and, secondarily, more weight loss. This is in itself critical, since the levels of obesity and type 2 diabetes are skyrocketing in our culture.
But the body is a complex biochemical organism, and semaglutide (and the other GLP-1RAs) have many effects beyond just weight loss. Much of the damage of Diabetes is due to the inflammation that it causes, and semaglutide lowers this inflammation by several mechanisms. A recent meta-analysis (a study that combines other studies) looked at the inflammation marker hsCRP (C-reactive protein) and showed that, controlling for other factors, semaglutide lowered hsCRP by as much as 50%. Several clinical studies are starting to pile up, showing the positive effects of semaglutide on heart disease, heart failure and even cholesterol (in one study, LDL cholesterol dropped 5% on semaglutide).
The anti-inflammatory effects of semaglutide are starting to gain traction in literature. In addition to diabetic inflammation, it is shown to have positive effects on liver, kidney and pancreatic inflammation, and even psoriasis. And I’m pleased to say that its anti-inflammatory effects may reduce chronic pain, including the pain of arthritis. In one large recent study, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, obese people with significant knee pain showed 50% more pain reduction than the placebo group.
Because of the neuro-protective effects of semaglutide, large studies are now beginning to look at its effects on Alzheimer’s Disease, which is sometimes called “Diabetes type 3” for its relationship to insulin and glucagon metabolism. And what about Parkinson’s? There are now clinical studies showing the improvement in movement and cognition with semaglutide, and even some suggestion that dopamine levels are increased, and dopamine loss is decreased (Parkinson’s Disease is associated with a loss of the neurotransmitter dopamine). I may just give it a try.