Semaglutide is an injectable prescription medication used to improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes, as well as to promote weight loss in overweight or obese individuals. It helps lower blood sugar by stimulating the release of insulin when blood sugar levels are high. Semaglutide also slows digestion and reduces appetite, leading to decreased food intake and potential weight loss.
Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. It mimics the effects of GLP-1, a hormone released naturally after eating that signals the pancreas to secrete insulin. By binding to and activating GLP-1 receptors in pancreatic beta cells, semaglutide promotes the release of insulin in response to high blood sugar levels after meals. This lowers and regulates blood glucose levels.
Semaglutide comes in a pre-filled, disposable pen device that allows patients to self-administer the medication as a once-weekly injection. The pen contains enough medication for four weeks of treatment. The recommended starting dose is 0.25 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly. After four weeks, the dosage can be increased to 0.5 mg, and eventually to 1 mg or 2 mg based on the desired clinical response and tolerability. Most people achieve effective weight loss results with the 1 mg dose.
Patients should inject semaglutide on the same day each week, rotating injection sites between the abdomen, thighs, or upper arms. Proper injection technique is important to ensure optimal medication absorption.
The most common side effects of semaglutide are gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, or abdominal pain. These tend to be mild or moderate and improve over time in most people. More serious potential side effects include inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), diabetic retinopathy complications, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), kidney problems, and gallbladder disease.
Semaglutide should not be used in people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2. Rare but serious allergic reactions are also possible with semaglutide use. Patients should tell their doctor right away about any worsening side effects when using this medication.
In 2021, the FDA approved semaglutide as an adjunct treatment for chronic weight management in overweight or obese adults. When combined with increased physical activity and healthier eating habits, semaglutide can lead to significant weight loss for many people struggling with excess weight and obesity.
There are two main ways that semaglutide helps patients lose weight:
Together, these effects allow someone on semaglutide to feel satisfied with smaller portion sizes and less frequent eating. Over weeks and months of treatment, moderate calorie deficit created by semaglutide leads to weight loss for most patients.
Clinical studies show that most people achieve 5-15% weight loss over 68 weeks on semaglutide. Benefits tend to be greatest with the higher 1 mg or 2 mg dose compared to the 0.5 mg dose alone. Patients who also increase their physical activity and make healthier nutrition choices see better weight loss with semaglutide.
Individual results can vary based on factors like starting weight, lifestyle changes, diet, dose, duration of therapy, genetics, age, and adherence to dosing regimen. Maintaining lost weight can be challenge once treatment stops, indicating the importance of developing healthy long-term habits while on semaglutide.
Experts consider 5-10% weight loss from starting body weight to be a clinically meaningful threshold for health benefits. Losing more weight typically leads to better improvement in weight-related medical conditions.
Lifestyle interventions should continue alongside semaglutide treatment to promote long-term weight maintenance. Developing sustainable healthy eating patterns, increasing physical activity routines, addressing emotional eating triggers, and utilizing accountability tools/coaching can support lasting success after finishing semaglutide.
Growth hormone, produced by the pituitary gland, plays an important role regulating growth, body composition, bone strength, sugar/fat metabolism, and mental well-being across the lifespan. An inadequate supply of growth hormone due to injury, tumor, infection, or other damage of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus leads to a condition called growth hormone deficiency.
Common symptoms that may indicate growth hormone deficiency in children or teenagers include:
In adults, symptoms can include:
Since symptoms alone do not confirm a growth hormone deficiency, medical testing is needed for accurate diagnosis. Two standard tests used are:
If deficiency is confirmed, imaging of the pituitary gland helps determine whether an abnormality in this gland or hypothalamus is the underlying cause. Ongoing assessments of clinical response guide appropriate growth hormone dosing and timing of treatments.
Testing for growth hormone deficiency should be considered in those with characteristic symptoms plus risk factors like:
Growth hormone injection treatment is approved to help normalize height in children with growth failure from inadequate hormone levels. In both children and adults, treatment offers a variety of meaningful health benefits:
Growth hormone therapy early in childhood, sometimes in conjunction with puberty delaying medication, allows youth to reach near predicted adult heights according to their genetics, despite past growth hormone deficiency slowing development. Consistent dosing helps maximize catch-up growth opportunities.
In those unable to make enough of their own growth hormone, treatment with pharmaceutical growth hormone reduces body fat storage - especially visceral fat around organs. This leads to more lean muscle mass and stronger metabolic health. Improved exercise capacity also results.
Osteoporosis risk increases later in life without adequate growth hormone. Synthetic growth hormone injections enhance bone mineral density to protect against excessive age-related bone loss in older adults. The result is reduced osteoporosis and fracture risk.
In addition to physical benefits, replacing low growth hormone levels can improve focus, memory retention, and information processing. Treated children and adults also often report better mood and self-esteem, with reduced social isolation and healthier interpersonal relationships.
Semaglutide is a new type of injectable diabetes medication that not only helps control blood sugar levels, but also promotes modest weight loss. In clinical trials, people taking semaglutide lost on average between 5-15 pounds over the course of a year without intentionally changing their diet or exercise habits.
For overweight or obese patients struggling to lose weight through traditional lifestyle measures alone, adding prescription semaglutide represents an effective medical aid. Compared to alternative short-term weight loss tools, semaglutide promotes more clinically meaningful, longer lasting weight reduction for most patients.
People using semaglutide weekly see steady, moderate body weight decline averaging about 1-2 pounds per week, influenced greatly by dosage strength and adherence. This may seem slower than extreme diets leading to fast early weight loss followed by plateaus or regain - but leads to better long-term success.
For many people, weight loss achieved through restrictive diets, intensive exercise programs, or very-low-calorie regimens proves temporary once resumed normal eating and activity levels cause regain. In contrast, semaglutide-induced weight loss tends to be more durable over time - provided lifestyle habits also evolve to support maintenance.
Like other GLP-1 receptor agonists, semaglutide enhances glycemic control through increased glucose-dependent insulin production. It also lowers unhealthy blood fats associated with cardiovascular disease progression. Losing excess fat, especially in the abdomen, combined with these metabolic regulatory effects lead to notable reductions in cardiometabolic disease risk factors.
The medical providers at Vitality Renewal Clinic specialize in cutting-edge naturopathic hormone therapies to help patients address underlying imbalances contributing to symptoms. We now offer semaglutide as part of customized plans to manage diabetes, promote fat loss, and reduce obesity-related disease risks.
Each patient presents with a unique clinical and lifestyle picture requiring an individualized management strategy. After thoroughly reviewing medical history and diagnostic testing, our practitioners devise tailored multi-modal treatment protocols - balancing hormone optimization, nutrition planning, fitness, and stress relief for optimal wellness.
Patients starting growth hormone, testosterone, or semaglutide therapy with us undergo periodic follow-up assessments tracking treatment responses and adjusting approaches as needed over time for ideal outcomes. We emphasize accountability while providing empathy, understanding, and encouragement during the improvement journey.
Our medical team completed advanced residencies focused on regenerative hormone therapies, anti-aging protocols, and functional nutrition under top experts in these emerging fields of evidence-based wellness medicine. We continually upgrade knowledge through conferences, medical journals, and best practice collaborations - delivering safe, ethical care.
