Free Republic

From sagging jowls and sulfurous burps to deflated breasts and surprise pregnancies, the side effects of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs have ranged from subtle to strange. Now, new research suggests that these wildly popular medications may also be throwing off critical medical imaging scans, interfering with doctors’ ability to detect serious — even deadly — diseases. Experts say this could lead to delayed diagnoses and treatments for some patients, while others might undergo tests and procedures they didn’t need in the first place. Originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 meds have become a sensation due to their powerful weight-loss...

Sudden layoffs from jobs are tough to process and it gets worse when questions of employees remain unanswered. In one such case, an Indian employee detailed his sudden layoff from a US-based company in a Reddit post which has gone viral. According to the post, the employee was caught off guard by the termination, which took place on October 1, over a three-minute video call. “It was literally like any other day, woke up at 8:30, logged into work at 9 and saw a calendar invite for 11. It was a mandatory meeting with our COO for all India employees....

The president of Florida A&M University on Saturday said the historically Black college ("HBCU") was taking “immediate steps to ensure accountability” after its band announcer commented on the weight of Alabama State University’s Honey Beez dancers. During half-time of the game between the two schools, Florida A&M band announcer Joe Bullard called the dance team that performs with Alabama State’s Mighty Marching Hornets as “the new face of Ozempic,” HBCU Gameday reported. Dr. Quinton Ross, the president of Alabama State University, called the remark “distasteful” and “short-sighted.” “To have their artistry disrespected after such a performance is absolutely unacceptable,” Ross...

A new analysis of two large clinical trials reveals that a higher weekly dose of semaglutide (7.2 mg) can drive significantly greater weight loss and metabolic improvements in adults with obesity, including those with type 2 diabetes. Credit: Shutterstock =========================================================================== High-dose semaglutide drives greater weight loss. Safety remains favorable but needs further study. A weekly semaglutide dose of 7.2 mg has been shown to markedly enhance weight loss and improve health outcomes for adults with obesity, including those who also have type 2 diabetes (T2D). Evidence from two large, international phase 3 clinical trials, published in The Lancet Diabetes &...

Key Points Novo Nordisk said it now offers cash-paying U.S. patients its blockbuster diabetes treatment Ozempic for less than half its monthly list price through multiple platforms. Patients can pay $499 in cash per month for three dose sizes of Ozempic through the drug’s official website, Novo Nordisk’s patient assistance program, the company’s recently launched direct-to-consumer online pharmacy and drug savings company GoodRx, among other platforms. It comes after Trump in July sent separate letters to Novo Nordisk and 16 other drugmakers, calling on them to take steps to lower medication prices in the U.S.

HealthWatch Weight loss drugs have "no end game" amid lack of data on long-term use, former FDA commissioner warns healthwatch By Edited By May 13, 2025 / 1:03 PM EDT / CBS News Weight loss drugs have transformed how Americans lose weight, including former commissioner for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Dr. David Kessler. But, Kessler warns there are unknowns about long-term use of the drugs and how to get people off them. "There is no end game," he said on "CBS Mornings Plus" Tuesday. "FDA allowed these medicines out without a long-term strategy." Kessler faced unexpected weight gain...

As a chef, self-educated nutritionist, and consultant to food-related businesses, I’ve witnessed firsthand the challenges facing the food retail industry. Restaurant owners and food service operators are grappling with declining sales and shifting consumer behaviors. Based on my experience and observations, three major factors are driving these concerns: the lingering effects of COVID-19 and inflation, the rise of weight loss drugs, and a perceived decline in overall food quality. However, with strategic adjustments—such as smaller portions, Ozempic-friendly options, lower-priced specials, and a vibrant happy hour—businesses can adapt and thrive in this evolving landscape. The Triple Threat to Food Retail COVID...

This gums up the works. Hollywood celebrities using popular weight loss drug Ozempic to shred those unwanted pounds are now facing an unexpected new side effect dubbed “Ozempic mouth,” according to a report. Users of the hottest prescription drug in Tinseltown, including Sharon Osbourne, Whoopie Goldberg, and Rebel Wilson, are showing signs of the distinctive side effect linked to rapid facial weight loss from a higher dose of the GLP-1 medication, a New York-based cosmetic dermatologist told the DailyMail.com “Many users of Ozempic who I know report noticeable volume loss in the face, which can result in the formation of...

As employee benefits evolve, a new contender has emerged, generating significant buzz in corporate America—coverage for weight-loss medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound. These GLP-1 agonists, originally developed for type 2 diabetes treatment but now widely sought after for their weight loss effects, are reshaping how employers think about health benefits and how employees evaluate job opportunities. Ozempic, a brand name for semaglutide, has become especially popular for its effectiveness in managing blood sugar levels and promoting weight loss. With list prices hovering around $1,350 for a four-week supply of Wegovy, these GLP-1 agonists remain financially out of reach for...

WW International, formerly known as WeightWatchers, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday in a bid to cut its debt after Ozempic and other hugely popular obesity drugs upended its business model. Shares of the company, which once boasted of media mogul Oprah Winfrey as one of its top shareholders, slumped 40% in extended trading after announcing plans to file for bankruptcy as part of a reorganization plan with a group of its lenders. WeightWatchers began as weekly weight-loss support group meeting with 400 attendees, and quickly turned into a worldwide phenomena with millions of members across the...

The ‘Modern Family’ alum tells PEOPLE that he was initially "embarrassed" about his type 2 diabetes and kept his diagnosis a secret from friends and family Eric Stonestreet used to think his health was “fairly good.” He struggled to lose weight like many people, but felt fine overall. “I was just trying to maintain as healthy a lifestyle as I could without doing a tremendous amount about it,” he tells PEOPLE. But in 2009, just as he landed his beloved role as Cameron Tucker on Modern Family, Stonestreet was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. “It was like this crazy happy...

Scientists may have identified a way to naturally regulate blood sugar levels and sugar cravings in a similar fashion to drugs like Ozempic. In mice and humans, the key to unlocking this natural process was found to be a gut microbe and its metabolites – the compounds it produces during digestion. By increasing the abundance of this one gut microbe in diabetic mice, researchers led by a team at Jiangnan University in China showed they can "orchestrate the secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1". Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a hormone that is naturally produced by the body and which helps regulate blood...

Hollywood celebrities using popular weight loss drug Ozempic to shred those unwanted pounds are now facing an unexpected new side effect dubbed “Ozempic mouth,” according to a report. Users of the hottest prescription drug in Tinseltown, including Sharon Osbourne, Whoopie Goldberg, and Rebel Wilson, are showing signs of the distinctive side effect linked to rapid facial weight loss from a higher dose of the GLP-1 medication, a New York-based cosmetic dermatologist told the DailyMail.com. “Many users of Ozempic who I know report noticeable volume loss in the face, which can result in the formation of fine lines, wrinkles, sagging skin,...

A naturally occurring molecule identified by Stanford Medicine researchers appears similar to semaglutide — also known as Ozempic — in suppressing appetite and reducing body weight. Notably, testing in animals also showed that it worked without some of the drug’s side effects such as nausea, constipation and significant loss of muscle mass. The newly discovered molecule, BRP, acts through a separate but similar metabolic pathway and activates different neurons in the brain — seemingly offering a more targeted approach to body weight reduction. “The receptors targeted by semaglutide are found in the brain but also in the gut, pancreas and...

A popular and controversial drug used for weight loss is among others that could potentially have extremely serious side effects. According to multiple studies, patients taking drugs such as Ozempic may experience conditions that cause inflammation and the blockage of blood flow to their eyes. That could result in severe and possibly irreversible vision loss, the Daily Mail reported Monday. “Now, researchers have detailed nine new reports of US patients who went blind after taking semaglutide or tirzepatide, the active ingredients in Ozempic and Mounjaro, respectively,” the article continued: The researchers wrote in JAMA Ophthalmology last month that it’s not...

Snack foods and sweet treats have seen a decline in purchases, as people reach for more nutrient-dense options.Ozempic, Mounjaro, and other glucagon-like peptide-1 medications, otherwise known as GLP-1s, are changing how Americans shop for groceries. In early January, Food & Wine published a story about how food companies are releasing all-new products or reimagining the marketing of old ones to appeal to more GLP-1 users who may be looking for specific nutrition needs like high-protein, high-fiber foods. In that story, we mentioned one tiny but important research paper by Cornell University that showed that households with at least one GLP-1...

Scientists may have identified a way to naturally regulate blood sugar levels and sugar cravings in a similar fashion to drugs like Ozempic. In mice and humans, the key to unlocking this natural process was found to be a gut microbe and its metabolites – the compounds it produces during digestion. By increasing the abundance of this one gut microbe in diabetic mice, researchers led by a team at Jiangnan University in China have shown they can "orchestrate the secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1". Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a hormone that is naturally produced by the body and which helps regulate...

A comprehensive new study confirmed that GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Mounjaro have myriad health benefits — even more than previously thought. Analyzing the medical records of roughly 2.5 million patients within the VA system, researchers at the Department of Veterans Affairs found that GLP-1 weight-loss drugs have an impact on a whopping 175 diseases and conditions. The study bolsters other research that found GLP-1 medications aid in the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease by reducing inflammation and in curtailing substance abuse by influencing dopamine levels in the brain. But some of the results were unexpected, including how...

The GLP-1 saga epitomizes the unsustainable corruption within our medical system Story at a Glance: •In early 2023, a private conference with pharmaceutical industry leaders and investors highlighted anti-obesity and Alzheimer’s drugs as the next big money-makers and had the FDA head as its keynote speaker. •Since then, the FDA has taken questionable steps to promote these drugs, particularly Ozempic, an anti-obesity medication. There's been a massive push to get everyone, including children, on Ozempic, using shockingly aggressive marketing tactics. •This rush is eerily similar to the fen-phen craze, a temporary weight loss drug later pulled from the market for...

Two independent studies show that patients with type 2 diabetes who are treated with the drug Ozempic have an increased risk of developing damage to the optic nerve of the eye, which can lead to severe and permanent loss of vision. Both of the new register-based studies from SDU confirm a concern that was raised earlier this year in a smaller American study. "We have examined data from all 424,152 Danes with type 2 diabetes. We found that Ozempic more than doubles the risk of developing NAION. NAION is damage to the optic nerve of the eye caused by a...