Ozempic and other weight loss drugs linked to 162 US deaths: report

Weight-loss shots like Ozempic and Wegovy have been linked to 162 deaths in the United States over the past six years, according to the Daily Mail.

These victims are listed in the FDA’s FAERS (FDA Adverse Event Reporting System) database, which stores reports on adverse reactions, safety concerns and complaints about the quality of drugs after they are marketed.

These reports can be submitted by medical personnel, manufacturers and patients themselves.

While none of the deaths have been proven to be explicitly caused by semaglutide injections, reports indicate that they were a factor in the deaths.

According to the report, deaths involving these drugs have increased by 40% over the past six months.

That increase is reflected in a series of publicized complications, including Juanita Gantt, a mother from Pennsylvania, who is suing the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, alleging that she nearly died from taking the prescription drugs and was not properly warned about the effects. potentially terrible side effects.

Last year, an Australian woman who took Ozempic to shed a few pounds before her daughter’s wedding died of a gastrointestinal illness her family claims was caused by the medication.

As of 2018, the FDA’s system has recorded 62,000 reactions to weight loss drugs like Ozempic. Most of these reactions were recorded in the last two years after the explosion in popularity of semaglutide.

Within the FAERS database, a total of 10,000 reactions were classified as “severe” or where a patient was hospitalized or suffered a life-threatening event.

Ozemipc is not FDA-approved for weight management, but it is approved to help people with type 2 diabetes. However, doctors have prescribed it “off-label” in recent years due to its increased popularity for weight loss.

In March 2024, Wegovy became “the first weight-loss drug to also be approved to help prevent life-threatening cardiovascular events in adults with cardiovascular disease and who are obese or overweight,” according to a press release from the FDA. US Food and Drug.

These drugs were originally developed for diabetics because they stimulate the release of insulin and reduce blood sugar after meals. However, in recent years, a serious increase in people have used drugs to lose weight.

Ozempic warns of side effects on its website, such as inflammation of the pancreas, low blood sugar, kidney problems, serious allergic reactions, gallbladder problems, and more.

In 2023, the FDA updated Ozempic’s label to acknowledge complaints of blocked bowels in some people who took the drug.

Commonly reported side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and flatulencen. Ozempic has also been linked to vision loss and an increase in “reckless behavior.”

Recent research shows that users tend to stop taking drugs if they are frustrated by side effects.

Serious side effects and death have not deterred people from participating. A recent Gallup poll found that six percent of all US adults, roughly 15.5 million people, have tried Ozempic or other brand-name medications, with three percent using these drugs specifically for weight loss.