Weight loss drug could reduce heart attack risk by 20%, study finds | Hacker News Reader

Weight loss drug could reduce heart attack risk by 20%, study finds

theguardian.com

15 pointscroes17 comments

Seems like we're creeping closer and closer to just making this available to everyone. But doesn't it also make people sick? All drugs list their side effects in ads. For this one the ad glibly calls nausea and diarrhea frequent side effects. And lots of people are reporting the same, which makes it seem real and common.

I'd rather tackle this problem the old-fashioned way. Eating right and exercising regularly doesn't make me feel like puking my guts out.

*I know it is a game changer for some extreme cases.

> I'd rather tackle this problem the old-fashioned way. Eating right and exercising regularly doesn't make me feel like puking my guts out.

You have to keep in mind that it was originally created as a drug for diabetes, where it would normally already be used along with diet and exercise. And diabetes is probably best to fight off as quickly as possible, even if that means having to take a medicine that makes you 'leaky'.

Ozempic has these side effects but there are better options. My partner is currently on Mounjaro and ~7 weeks in she’s had literally a few bouts of slight nausea for a few hours. The side effects are definitely worth the results in her case. She’s also exercised 3 times a week, never missing a session. Both the diet and exercise adherence she’s previously failed at many times.

In my opinion, from a public health perspective they should be giving these drugs out liberally.

Fractyl Health is working on a gene therapy targeting the GLP-1 pathway. It’s a bug requiring a patch.

With regards to “the old fashioned way,” that’s not how biology and brain chemistry work.

https://www.fractyl.com/fractyl-health-demonstrates-signific...

Semaglutide most common side-effect is nausea, but it can also lead to cancer in some people.

(I currently need semaglutide but cannot afford it because I don't live somewhere like France where it's affordable. Medicare doesn't cover it for obesity at all. Medicare doesn't cover a lot of medications that could reduce harm and lower medical costs.)

Some slight poisoning is fine if it causes people to poison themselves less with their diets. It seems crazy but it all works out.

In Australia there is currently an Ozempic shortage, so if you live here, please don't request a doctor to "off label" prescribe it to you for weight loss. It's more important that those suffering from Type 2 diabetes are able to access their medication than overweight people using it to reduce food consumption.

https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2024/04/04/ozemp...

Struggled with weight ever since I was a kid. It got really bad in my senior year of highschool and I'm finally starting to do better. I'v learned portion control and have given up drinking soda regularly and now I normally just have corbonated water I make. While I can't bring myself to goto the gym due to self esteem issue and not knowing what I'd even do their, I have started to walk more and move around as part of being a college student. Iv managed to drop a few pounds but I'm still overweight by more than 100 lbs.

I recognise that medication isn't a miracle solution but in some cases like mine, I'm not truely consuming as much calories as I used to yet I'm still weight so much. I do know that stuff out their could help me such as 2,4 Dinitrophenol or ephedra but both are illegal due to the side effects and the narrow gap between an effective dosage and toxicity. While I can recognize that these substances are not healthy long term, and they need to be respected, I also have trouble respecting that classification when I know how serious the side effects of common medications can be or how they can be abused just as easily.

Ironically I have trouble believing anything like this could help me would come to market soon. BAM15 is similar to 2,4 dinitrophenol but has less toxicity and is much safer but is no where ready to coming to market. GPL-1 drugs do show promise, I recently had to start one due to type 2 diabetes and other than slightly curbing my appetite it dosnt seem to be the miracle injection that is being proclaimed as.

All things aside, id love to be proven wrong and find out their is medication that could help me curb my cravings and boost my sloth like metabolism, but I also am warry of snake oil.

When I was younger, in my freshman years of highschool I was fat but it wasn't this bad. I wish I knew someone would have been honest and told me that I wasn't so overweight, and this may just be my mental health or body image perception issue but all I ever remember was people telling me I was obease and hearing bad comments, not that it was easily fixable. Iv suffered from back pain all my life and been told it was growing pains or my weight, I dropped 25 pounds but my back still kills me just as bad and some days walking can be to much, and the pain almost puts me to tears or causes me to feel weak in the legs.

TLDR: long life story stuff, I'm going to be skeptical

> While I can't bring myself to goto the gym due to self esteem issue and not knowing what I'd even do their, I have started to walk more and move around as part of being a college student. Iv managed to drop a few pounds but I'm still overweight by more than 100 lbs.

You don't need to go to the gym to work out. Walking is great, you can do a lot with a very small weight set, and you can do calisthenics. None are hard to learn, there's a bunch of websites and such. If funds and space aren't too much of an issue: stationary bikes, rowing machines, weight sets, etc. can be found pretty easily and are nice. Look for second-hand if funds are an issue.

Gym people do tend to be pretty great by the way. Not universally of course, but I'm sure you'd be able to find some who would welcome you and you likely wouldn't have a bad experience. You also can just go and watch or ask and it'll be really easy to find some machines you can do. Really worst case you can look up how to use different machines or equipment.

Since you're in college, a lot of schools will have classes that will teach you to work out in any way that you find interesting too. They won't expect you to already know anything or be in shape, you'll fit in fine.

How's your blood sugar? I wouldn't say this your blood sugar is healthy but if it's not so healthy radically eliminating carbs can go a long way to reducing insulin insensitivity which makes you need to overeat to feel like you're not dying, but actually makes you slowly feel worse and worse and worse.

Blood sugar has been good. A1C is basically back to non diabetic range

> While I can't bring myself to goto the gym due to self esteem issue and not knowing what I'd even do their, I have started to walk more and move around as part of being a college student.

I can empathise with this, I was 107kg just over two years ago and am now down around 85kg. Walking with a small amount of jogging (to increase heart rate slightly) was hugely instrumental but so was building muscle mass. Well done for getting started.

Something that worked for me (and may not work for you as a college student) was to start seeing a personal trainer with a focus on learning techniques to build muscle mass. I now am able to go to the gym on my own and train without my trainer, use a Smith machine and various other pieces of equipment and the benefits have been huge.

I take a medication that makes weight management difficult. I'm at a BMI of 32, my T level is hovering around 0, I can't work, read a book, sleep or think clearly, my resting heart rate is 110, but I can't afford Wegovy because it costs $17,100 USD/year at the best discount available. No worries, I probably won't live more than another 5 years or so in this state that I can't escape and no doctor seems interested in paying any attention to.

Just an aside, gym bros are one of the most friendly, educating bunch when it comes to new comers. Everyone starts somewhere (even the gym bros) and if you are willing to go and ask, they are likely willing to help you get started.

Start on the treadmill walking, lift the easy to learn machines, and stick to a routine. Diet is a great first start. Follow up with exercise. It'll help you keep the weight off and extend your life.

Keep at it.

I know self esteem issues aren't rooted in logic, and so understand you find it hard to get into the gym, but just to say that in my experience unless the gym in question is the most superficial kind of place, most people will just think "good for you" if they see someone big come in. A lot of people there will have started just like you. A lot will still be there.

As for what to do there, either book a couple of lessons or pick up a beginner weight program like Starting Strength or Stronglifts.

The thing is, getting used to the gym is often an amazing self esteem boost for people if you can just get over that initial hesitation.

Good luck either way.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com