Even if you you’re not diabetic or obese, can Ozempic be right for you?
Ever since the weekly injectable was approved in 2017 to treat diabetes in adults, researchers have been testing its superpowers on other chronic diseases, such as colorectal cancer, osteoarthritis, drug and alcohol addiction, brain disorders and more.
“I’m using [Ozempic] off-label for a whole host of conditions — and have been for years,” Dr. Caroline Messer, an endocrinologist at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital, told The Post. “Even though it hasn’t been approved yet for sleep apnea, we’re using it for that. We’re using it for fatty liver [disease], high cholesterol, you name it.”
Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy, Victoza and Trulicity are part of a class of diabetes and obesity medications called GLP-1 drugs. They make you feel fuller for longer by mimicking the body’s GLP-1 hormone that’s naturally produced after eating.
Most of the secondary conditions these drugs are being used to treat are related to obesity.
Obesity causes low-grade chronic inflammation, which is when the body’s natural chemical response to an irritant or injury remains active long after the threat has passed.
GLP-1s masterfully reduce the amount of inflammation in the body by stimulating weight loss, interacting with immune cells and blocking the release of cytokines, which are proteins that respond to cell damage from injury or infection.
“Cytokines are produced by an excessive number of fat cells in obese people,” Dr. Sue Decotiis, a triple-board certified medical weight loss physician based in Manhattan, explained to The Post.
“Cytokines modulate ‘turn on’ problems, such as arthritis and skin diseases, which promote cancer,” Decotiis continued. “By depleting this fat cell reservoir, the body is helped to return to a healthier state.”
Decotiis called GLP-1s “an exciting category of medications” — here are some of the conditions they may help treat.
Colorectal cancer
Alarmed by the rising rates of colorectal cancer in young people, an international team of scientists plans to launch human trials as early as next year to see if GLP-1 drugs can “reverse the molecular signatures that are associated with cancer.”
Obesity is linked to an increased risk of 13 types of cancer. For example, people who are obese are 1.3 times more likely to develop colorectal cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Obesity, Type 2 diabetes and cancer are associated with insulin resistance — which is when the body’s cells don’t respond well to insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar.
GLP-1s stimulate insulin release, improving insulin sensitivity. And besides decreasing inflammation, the meds can increase the function of cancer-fighting natural killer cells, Messer said.
“[There are] lots of different theories out there, but I think what we know for sure is that [GLP-1s] decrease the risk definitively for colorectal cancer,” she added.
Knee pain in osteoarthritis
Obese knee arthritis sufferers experienced almost a 50% reduction in knee pain after taking Ozempic as part of a study published last month in the New England Journal of Medicine.
“We know, clearly, weight loss helps with [osteoarthritis],” Messer said. “But they’re saying that it improves osteoarthritis even without the weight loss. There’s certainly an inflammatory component to [osteoarthritis], so I suppose that’s how it’s working.”
Messer has also seen GLP-1s help her patients with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic autoimmune disease that causes joint inflammation.
Substance abuse
“A lot of times, addictive behavior is to give your body a dopamine hit,” Messer said.
GLP-1 drugs may be able to treat alcohol and opioid addiction by influencing dopamine levels in the brain.
Ozempic users have reported fewer cravings for alcohol, drugs and nicotine, along with food.
Brain disease
“I have patients already with mild cognitive impairment or APOE genes for Alzheimer’s who are taking these medications for preventative purposes,” Messer said about GLP-1s.
One particular variant of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene significantly increases the risk of Alzheimer’s.
Ozempic has shown promise in decreasing inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain, reducing tau proteins and amyloid plaques, which are key markers for dementia.
Skin conditions
Recent research found that obese people who took semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy — lost weight, reduced inflammation, improved blood sugar and decreased their hidradenitis suppurativa flare-ups.
The lesion-causing skin disease, which is strongly associated with obesity, affects at least 1 in 100 people.
“They’re seeing incredible results because of the anti-inflammatory effect,” Messer said. “In my patients, I see a decrease in psoriasis, probably because of the inflammation.”
Sleep apnea
Research this year found that tirzepatide — the active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound — reduced sleep apnea severity by as much as 63% in obese adults with obstructive sleep apnea.
An estimated 39 million US adults have the condition, which occurs when the throat muscles relax during sleep and repeatedly block the airway. Losing weight often helps.
Polycystic ovary syndrome
PCOS is a hormonal imbalance that affects ovarian function.
One study found that Ozempic caused significant weight loss in nearly 80% of obese PCOS patients who didn’t respond to other treatments — and it helped regulate their menstrual cycles.
Heart attacks and early death after a stroke
New preliminary research published on Monday found patients with Type 2 diabetes who took Ozempic after suffering a stroke had a 74% lower risk of an early death, as well as a 84% reduced risk of a heart attack.
The study’s authors noted that GLP-1 drugs have been shown to lower blood pressure and help prevent the hardening of arteries, which is a major risk factor for strokes.
Looking to the future
Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, which manufactures Ozempic and Wegovy, says its scientists are working on treatments for cardiovascular disease, the rare blood disease hemophilia, growth disorders and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, a chronic liver disease.
In the meantime, the company cautions that treatment decisions should be made in consultation with a healthcare professional and require strict medical supervision.
“Novo Nordisk does not promote, suggest, or encourage off-label use, or misuse, or any of our medications,” a spokesperson told The Post.
Ozempic has been hailed as a “wonder drug,” but some users have complained of side effects including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain.
More rarely, there have been reports of an eye condition that causes blindness, hair loss and behavioral changes. Plus, buyers of knockoffs need to beware.
Novo Nordisk said this month that compounded versions of semaglutide, prepared by a pharmacy and not the manufacturer itself, have been linked to at least 100 hospitalizations and 10 deaths.
