We can expect a new generation of drugs that can effectively influence behavior and help us "become the best version of ourselves". To break free from addictions and urges that we don't want - and to be healthier and happier.
In recent years, revolutionary drugs have appeared on the market: Vogobi and Ozmepic. Both of these drugs cause rapid weight loss, with a minimum of side effects. They mimic the activity of the intestinal hormone GLP-1, which reduces appetite and improves the regulation of blood sugar levels. The result: About 15 percent weight loss, without any conscious effort on the part of the patient.
If that sounds too good, well, many think so. One can find a multitude of claims - some conspiratorial, others based on real concerns - against the use of these drugs. What did not claim against them? They were said to be especially damaging to the muscles, but studies have shown that they are do not harm the muscles more than a normal diet. We claimed that their use - or stopping the treatment - provokes suicidal thoughts. Again, no. There is concern that they make the face look droopy... but this is exactly what we would expect to see in people experiencing rapid weight loss.
So far, almost every claim against weight loss drugs has been disproved. But among all the parade of warnings and scares, it is more difficult to pay attention to the other beneficial effects of weight loss drugs. In recent years, it has become clear, for example, that people who take the two most common weight loss drugs - Vosgobi and Ozmepic - experience less Suicidal thoughts from those undergoing other weight loss treatments. It is also not surprising to find that their use improves heart health and reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke by twenty percent. Patients lose weight, do more physical activity and simply become healthier.
The two drugs I mentioned, Vesogubi and Ozpic, are both based on a central active ingredient called semaglutide. It turns out that studies in animals showed even during the development period of the material, that its mode of action may reduce alcohol consumption in mice and rats. But can semaglutide have a similar effect on humans? You could find users on social media who claimed that the drugs also reduced their need for alcohol and illegal drugs. But anecdotes are not proof. Need research.
And now we have one.
In a new study published recently, researchers looked at nearly 700,000 patients. They compared patients on Vasgobi and Ozampic to those taking other, non-semaglutide-based weight loss drugs. They recorded how many of the patients were diagnosed as alcoholics over a 12-month period. And look, it's a miracle: the frequency of diagnosis among users of Vasgobi and Ozpik has reached for half only than in those who use other slimming drugs. The investigators did not stop there. They used a similar research method to show that weight loss drugs They also significantly reduced the use of cannabis.
How does the miracle happen? The answer is still unclear. And to tell the truth, I would be happy to see more studies that would confirm the results before I treat them as absolute truth - despite the impressive number of participants. But if the claims are true, then it's possible that semaglutide affects the way the brain makes us feel better after a good meal. We know that both food and drugs and alcohol can affect the same reward and reinforcement system in the brain. Perhaps it is not surprising that weight loss drugs can also help in dealing with addictions of various types.
Does this mean that tomorrow morning we will provide slimming drugs to everyone who wants to be cured of addiction to drugs, alcohol, or excessive eating? Probably not. Used incorrectly, these drugs can still cause harm - for example, if they are given to thin people in the first place. But looking to the future, we can expect a new generation of drugs that can effectively influence behavior and help us "become the best version of ourselves." To break free from addictions and urges that we don't want - and to be healthier and happier.
And, poorer people too, because these drugs are not cheap. But in a decade or so the copyrights will expire, and then it will be possible to produce them on the cheap. The best future is already at hand.
- The writer did not receive payment, benefit, or pleasure in general from writing the post. Not even a single dose of Ozampic.
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