Enlarge / Woman on a kg weight scale (credit: Getty | BSIP)
A repurposed Type 2 diabetes drug helped teens with obesity lose a significant amount of body weight, lowered their risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and improved their weight-related quality of life over a 68-week clinical trial, researchers reported this week in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The drug is semaglutide (brand name Wegovy), which was first approved to treat Type 2 diabetes in 2017, but has since also proven useful for weight loss in adults who are obese or overweight. The drug works by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that targets areas of the brain that regulate appetite and food intake, the Food and Drug Administration explained while approving its use for weight loss in adults.
The new data suggests that it may also substantially help teens struggling with obesity and overweight issues improve their health and outlook as they head into adulthood. One in five children and teens in the US has obesity, which can set children up for serious health conditions, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, breathing problems, and joint problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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