Popular weight loss drugs linked to higher risk of serious gastrointestinal problems

Researchers found that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic, had a higher risk for side effects like stomach paralysis.

Wegovy injectors
Created to help treat diabetes, the drugs' popularity as weight loss aids has skyrocketed.
(Image credit: UCG / Getty Images)

Medicines in a popular new class of weight loss drugs including Ozempic and WeGovy may put patients at a higher risk for severe digestive problems, such as stomach paralysis, pancreatitis and bowel obstructions, according to a new study in JAMA Medical Journal. The researchers determined that the side effects were rare but still carried a higher risk than older classes of weight loss medications. 

The researchers found that these side effects are rare among individual patients. For example, only about 1% of people taking Ozempic are diagnosed with stomach paralysis, but with demand for the weight loss injectables on the rise, that percentage isn't inconsequential. The study's authors warned that "even rare risks like these may amount to hundreds of thousands of new cases," CNN reported. 

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Theara Coleman, The Week US

Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.