The article highlights a concerning trend: when individuals stop taking weight loss drugs like Ozempic, they often experience a significant rebound in weight gain. A meta-analysis of 11 studies, involving over 2,400 participants, found that these medications lead to weight loss while being used, but the weight regain starts as early as eight weeks after discontinuation and can continue for up to 20 weeks.

The study analyzed data from patients taking various anti-obesity medications (AOMs), including GLP-1 receptor agonists, orlistat, phentermine-topiramate, and others. The researchers controlled for factors like the presence of diabetes, medication type, and lifestyle changes such as diet or exercise. Their findings revealed that AOMs are associated with significant weight loss while being used, followed by weight regain starting eight weeks after AOM discontinuation.

The amount of weight regained varied depending on several factors, including the type of medication taken and the consistency of lifestyle change. For example, participants who completed a 36-week treatment of tirzepatide, a commercially available GLP-1 RA, regained almost half the weight previously lost after switching to a placebo.

It is essential to note that this meta-analysis did not include studies of lifestyle interventions and bariatric surgery, which might provide additional insights into weight loss approaches. However, the study’s findings are concerning, as they suggest that patients may experience significant weight regain after stopping weight loss medications.

As individuals consider using weight loss drugs like Ozempic, it is crucial to be aware of this potential rebound effect. While these medications can lead to short-term weight loss, the long-term consequences may be more complex and require a comprehensive approach to overall health and wellness.

In a groundbreaking study, researchers at Mayo Clinic have discovered that a sugar molecule used by cancer cells to evade the immune system could also help treat type 1 diabetes. The team, led by immunology researcher Virginia Shapiro, Ph.D., found that dressing up beta cells with the same sugar molecule, known as sialic acid, enabled the immune system to tolerate them.

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin. This leads to an estimated 1.3 million people in the U.S. suffering from the disease. In their studies, Shapiro’s team used a cancer mechanism and turned it on its head by applying it to type 1 diabetes.

The researchers took a closer look at a preclinical model of type 1 diabetes and found that beta cells engineered to produce an enzyme called ST8Sia6, which increases sialic acid on the surface of tumor cells, were not attacked by the immune system. In fact, they were 90% effective in preventing the development of type 1 diabetes.

The team’s findings show that it is possible to engineer beta cells that do not prompt an immune response. This breakthrough has the potential to improve therapy for patients with type 1 diabetes, who currently rely on synthetic insulin or transplantation of pancreatic islet cells with immunosuppression.

Dr. Shapiro aims to explore using the engineered beta cells in transplantable islet cells without the need for immunosuppression. While still in the early stages, this study may be one step toward improving care for patients with type 1 diabetes.

A recent study has shed light on an alarming trend: among women who strongly desire to avoid becoming pregnant, those who engage in heavy drinking are more than 50% likelier to become pregnant compared to those who drink moderately or not at all. In contrast, participants who use cannabis do not appear to have a higher risk of undesired pregnancy.

Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco conducted this study among a subgroup of over 900 non-pregnant women aged 15-34 who reported a strong desire to avoid pregnancy. They found that those who drank heavily and those who used cannabis frequently had an even higher overall desire to avoid pregnancy compared to participants who drank moderately or did not use cannabis.

Over the course of one year, 71 out of the 936 women in this subgroup became pregnant unintentionally. A significant proportion (38) of these unwanted pregnancies occurred among heavy drinkers, far exceeding the combined number for those who drank moderately or not at all. This suggests that heavy drinking is associated with a higher risk of undesired pregnancy compared to lower levels of consumption.

On the other hand, less than half (28) of the 71 unintended pregnancies occurred among people who used cannabis, indicating that these individuals did not have an elevated risk of undesired pregnancy compared to those who did not use cannabis.

According to Dr. Sarah Raifman, lead author of this study, the findings imply two crucial points: first, non-pregnant women who drink heavily may have a higher desire to avoid pregnancy than those who drink moderately or do not drink at all; second, heavy drinking compared to moderate or no drinking appears to put those who most want to avoid pregnancy at a higher risk of becoming pregnant within one year.

Given the potentially life-altering effects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and the fact that the risk of FASD increases with the amount and duration of maternal drinking, healthcare professionals should support women who drink heavily in stopping their consumption as soon as they suspect an unintentional pregnancy.