Type 2 diabetes is a common health problem that happens when the body can’t use insulin properly. Insulin helps move sugar from the blood into the body’s cells.
When this process doesn’t work well, sugar builds up in the blood. Over time, this can damage the heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves.
One way doctors check how well someone is managing their diabetes is by using a test called HbA1c. This test shows the average blood sugar level over two to three months. A high HbA1c number means that blood sugar has been too high.
A new international study has tested a medicine that could help people with type 2 diabetes lower their blood sugar and lose weight at the same time. The medicine is called semaglutide. It is already used to treat diabetes and help with weight loss, but this study looked at higher daily doses to see if they work even better.
The research was led by Dr. Vanita R. Aroda at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. More than 1,600 people took part in the study. These people were from 177 different sites in 14 countries.
All the participants were already taking one to three diabetes medications, but their HbA1c levels were still too high—between 8.0% and 10.5%—which means their diabetes was not well controlled.
The researchers divided the people into three groups. One group took 14 mg of semaglutide each day, another group took 25 mg, and the third group took 50 mg. The treatment lasted for 68 weeks, which is a little over a year.
By the end of the study, all groups had lower HbA1c levels. But the people who took the higher doses—25 mg and 50 mg—had bigger drops in their blood sugar levels. This shows that higher doses worked better.
Another benefit was weight loss. The groups taking the higher doses lost more weight than the group taking the smaller dose. This is important because losing weight can help people with type 2 diabetes manage their condition better.
Like many medications, semaglutide can cause side effects. In this study, the most common problems were nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. These side effects were more common in people taking the higher doses. However, most of the side effects were mild and went away over time.
The study shows that higher daily doses of semaglutide may be helpful for people with type 2 diabetes who are not getting enough help from their current medications. It also shows that one medicine could help control blood sugar and support weight loss at the same time.
Still, the higher doses also come with stronger side effects. Doctors and patients will need to think carefully about the risks and benefits. More research is needed to learn who would benefit the most from these higher doses.
The full study was published in the medical journal The Lancet.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about The hidden connection between cancer and diabetes uncovered and findings of Scientists find the best way to help people with diabetes lose weight.
For more about diabetes, please read studies about Widely prescribed drug may increase sudden cardiac arrest risk in people with diabetes and findings of These common drugs linked to sudden cardiac arrest in people with type 2 diabetes.
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