A semaglutida no tratamento da obesidade

Abstract

With the growing increase in obesity worldwide and the various complications that it brings, it is necessary to search for new anti-obesity drugs, since changes in lifestyle and diet alone are often not enough. One of the most recent drugs used for weight loss and maintenance is semaglutide, commercially known as Ozempic®, launched by the Nova Nordisk Pharmaceutical Laboratory. Semaglutide is a Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 agonist, initially used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus, which decreases caloric intake and consequently reduces body weight. In this work, we carried out a narrative review of the scientific literature in the PubMed and SciELO databases on the use of semaglutide for weight loss and maintenance, seeking evidence on its safety and the adverse effects caused by its use. Several studies have already been conducted on its use for weight loss, obtaining better results than other analogues of Glucagon Like Peptide 1, which are also used for the same purpose. Regarding safety and adverse effects, especially rare adverse effects, studies have shown that semaglutide is a safe drug. However, as it is a relatively new drug, further studies are needed on its long-term safety and to establish, or not, a correlation between its use and rare adverse effects. It is concluded that this drug is an alternative treatment for weight loss and management, but more long-term studies are needed.