A new study this month is the latest to link Ozympic, Wegovi and other GLP-1 drugs to a higher risk of gastric cancer, a serious medical condition. So what is gastroparesis and how concerned should you be if you are considering taking these medications?
Gastroparesis It is simply described as delayed gastric emptying. When food reaches the stomach, the powerful muscles of the organs often break the food into small pieces and push the pieces into the small intestine with little difficulty. But in gastroparesis, these muscles slow down or stop working completely (which is why it’s commonly called stomach paralysis), causing delays in digestion.
Symptoms of gastroparesis can vary but may include: feeling full quickly after eating, nausea, vomiting, bloating, heartburn, and stomach pain. The longer the gastroparesis persists, the more likely it is to develop severe symptoms such as severe dehydration, malnutrition, and unintended weight loss. Sometimes, this delay can cause food to clump together and form a hard mass called a bezoar, which blocks the stomach and prevents anything from reaching the small intestine—a potentially life-threatening complication. Other times, people may experience mild to no symptoms at all.
Most cases of gastroparesis are considered idiopathic, meaning they have no apparent cause. But there are risk factors for it, such as diabetes and certain medications. And over the years, there was evidence Accumulation GLP-1 drugs are one such risk factor. The most recent research comes from Three primary studies It was presented at Digestive Disease Week 2024 last weekend.
Two of these studies found that people who were prescribed GLP-1 were more likely to be diagnosed with gastroparesis compared to those who were not on the drug, and the third analyzed the health of people who later developed GLP-1s. Former patients as well He started to eat Makers of Ozympic, Wegovi, Munjaro and Zipbone. These New generation GLP-1 drugs Compared to non-surgical options, they are very effective in treating obesity. The charges are that taking these drugs has caused serious complications including gastroparesis.
An important consideration here is that gastroparesis appears to be uncommon even in GLP-1 users. For example, in a recent study by researchers at University Hospitals in Cleveland, 0.1% of obese people prescribed a GLP-1 drug had less gastroparesis after six months or more. He did not prescribe GLP-1. This rarity may help explain why clinical trials of these GLP-1 drugs have failed to establish an association with gastroparesis, as it would require studying large numbers of people to see a clear trend, even if it were real.
Incidentally, doctors report that discontinuing GLP-1 use often helps relieve their patients’ gastroparesis. He continued To get symptoms long after stopping the drug. Dietary changes or certain medications can treat it, but severe or chronic cases may require more serious interventions. IV feeding or jejunostomy tube feedingwhere liquid food is sent through a tube into the small intestine to bypass the stomach.
Currently, GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy do not carry labels that directly warn people of the risk of gastroparesis, although such drugs are known to delay gastric emptying, which can affect other medications. But as more evidence emerges, the FDA may require revisions to describe this risk. Last fall, the agency Ordered Following adverse event reports, Ozempic’s label changed citing a possible risk of ileus or intestinal obstruction, although it failed to confirm ileus as a side-effect.
For now, gastroparesis is also a suspected but unproven side effect of GLP-1 use. And while it may be rare, it’s definitely a complication that doctors and patients should be aware of when taking these medications.