A brand new examine exhibits that taking Ozempic will increase the danger of affected by life-ruining erectile dysfunction by three and a half occasions.
College of Texas researchers studied greater than 1,500 overweight, non-diabetic males taking the blockbuster drug and located {that a} staggering variety of them developed sexual issues inside a month of beginning the medicine.
Whereas different analysis and anecdotal experiences have cited erectile dysfunction as one of many drug's many disagreeable unintended effects, that is the primary examine to quantify the danger.
Weight reduction medication resembling Ozempic are taken by greater than two million folks within the US, together with actuality star Scott Disick, who was lately uncovered when Retaining Up With The Kardashians viewers noticed packets of an identical shot, Monjaro, in his fridge.
Semaglutide customers not solely had a three-and-a-half-fold elevated danger of sexual issues, however they have been additionally almost twice as prone to have low testosterone, the researchers discovered.
College of Texas researchers discovered that overweight, non-diabetic males have been 3.5 occasions extra prone to have a brand new prognosis of erectile dysfunction inside not less than one month of beginning semaglutide.
Scott Disick is without doubt one of the male celebrities who’s taking GLP-1 agonist medicine to drop extra pounds. Viewers noticed cans of Monjaro inside Scott Disick's fridge on an episode of The Kardashians in Might
The researchers used a big database of affected person information to establish males who didn’t have a prognosis of diabetes, have been aged 18-50 years, had a BMI better than 30 and who have been prescribed semaglutide – the generic drug in Ozempic and Wegovy – after June 2021.
Males who already had erectile dysfunction have been additionally excluded, as have been males who have been taking Viagra and had a historical past of low testosterone.
Additionally they excluded males who had a previous prognosis of diabetes, since this situation is a danger issue for erectile dysfunction.
Roughly 3,094 males who met the factors have been matched with an equal variety of non-diabetic, overweight males who had by no means been given semaglutide.
The researchers discovered that not solely was the danger of sexual dysfunction elevated by three-and-a-half occasions in semaglutide customers, however The danger of getting low testosterone ranges almost doubles.
Semaglutide medication work for weight reduction by mimicking the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) hormone, which is of course produced within the physique and makes us really feel full.
Erectile dysfunction typically happens when blood circulate to the penis is proscribed. For a person's penis to turn out to be aroused, the vessels carrying blood to his penis must dilate. In consequence, extra blood flows into the penis and it swells.
The situation can be attributable to nerve injury from surgical procedure, blood stress drugs and hormone-suppressing medication used to deal with prostate most cancers, and alcohol.
The researchers speculated that simply as GLP-1 receptor agonists delay abdomen emptying, they could additionally delay blood circulate to the penis.
Dr. Shauna Levy, an weight problems professional at Tulane College, additionally mentioned the libido part is “an enormous a part of it.”
“We all know that GLP-1 impacts the reward centre of our mind, and for many individuals there’s a reward in intercourse,” he instructed DailyMail.com.
'And if for some motive folks aren't getting the identical advantages from intercourse, that may have an effect on our libido in a roundabout way.
'I actually suppose it's a attainable mechanism. Perhaps not for everybody, however for some.'
Research present that semaglutide impacts chemical substances within the mind related to reward pathways and libido.
He mentioned that erectile dysfunction can happen because of low libido.
He mentioned the examine's outcomes have been “shocking” and indicated “there may be nonetheless loads we have to study this matter.”
Sufferers who bear bariatric weight reduction surgical procedure typically expertise enchancment in erectile dysfunction and sometimes even have a reversal of low testosterone ranges.
“For my part, this drug will work in an identical method,” Dr. Levy mentioned.
'We all know that weight reduction surgical procedure acts on many alternative hormonal pathways, not only one or two, in order that in all probability has one thing to do with it, whereas semaglutide solely targets the GLP pathways.'
He mentioned that bariatric surgical procedure additionally naturally will increase your hormone ranges.
Then again, 'whereas GLP-1 receptor agonist medication mimic our naturally occurring hormone, they aren’t [the exact hormones],
'It in all probability has one thing to do with how they aim the physique. Till extra analysis is completed, that is all hypothesis.'
Dr Levy mentioned sufferers taking compounded and semaglutide and “probably” tirzepatide (the lively ingredient within the Monjaro drug) may additionally have an elevated danger of erectile dysfunction, however he careworn that extra analysis is required.
He mentioned that though the examine discovered an elevated danger of erectile dysfunction, 'it’s nonetheless not extraordinarily dangerous.'
“Whereas this may occasionally stop some males from taking the medicine, if they’ve a excessive danger of coronary heart illness or different problems because of weight problems, clearly they should assess the dangers and advantages, however they’ll nonetheless proceed to take the medicine,” he added.
He mentioned: 'The scariest factor about unintended effects is what in the event that they don't go away when you cease taking the medication?'
Dr. Levy mentioned one other factor to contemplate is whether or not or not the erectile dysfunction that happens after utilizing Wegovy or Ozempic is everlasting.
'As a result of if it's not, then it's in all probability well worth the danger. But when it's everlasting, then I feel undoubtedly extra folks will suppose twice about taking the drug.'
Dr. Sue Decotiis, a weight reduction doctor working in New York, mentioned that within the 10 years she has been prescribing GLP-1 agonist medication she has by no means seen an issue with erectile dysfunction because of them.
However he added: 'If folks do develop erectile dysfunction whereas taking these medication it’s almost definitely to happen early in therapy, when doses are larger.
'Initially there’s a large metabolic change within the physique and excessive fatigue. This briefly impacts libido and erectile dysfunction, however in the long term it helps.'
