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A new study analyzed how often people develop severe side effects after taking semaglutide
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The report claims the trendy drug contributed to nearly 25,000 emergency room visits between 2022 and 2023
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Most reported hospital visits were due to gastrointestinal complications
Trendy weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have sent a shocking number of people to the hospital, according to claims made in a new study.
The study — published April 8 in Annals of Internal Medicine — analyzed how often people develop severe side effects that send them to the emergency department or hospital after taking semaglutide, an FDA-approved prescription medication for people with type 2 diabetes and chronic obesity.
A spokesperson for Ozempic’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, told PEOPLE in a statement, “The safety and efficacy profile of Ozempic has been evaluated in clinical studies involving more than patients. The most commonly reported side effects were gastrointestinal, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach (abdominal) pain, and constipation. The known risks associated with use of Ozempic are reflected in the FDA-approved product labeling.”
Semaglutide — known by brand names Ozempic and Wegovy — works in the brain to impact satiety. Over the past two years, the popularity of weekly injections for weight loss has soared. As of 2024, one in eight adults in the United States has taken a GLP-1 medication (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) like Ozempic.
Scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studied national surveillance data collected at dozens of hospitals. They found that semaglutide contributed to nearly 25,000 emergency room visits between 2022 and 2023, with more than 82% occurring in 2023.
The visits were typically due to gastrointestinal complications. Patients experienced nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Related: Ozempic FAQ: All About the Drug Being Used for Weight Loss — Yes, You Will Likely Gain Weight When You Stop Taking It
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Semaglutide injection drug
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Additionally, some hospital visits were also reported for low blood sugar, allergic reactions, pancreatitis, and bile duct disease — all less common incidences.
“We found that it’s very infrequent that semaglutide leads to very serious adverse events that would land a patient in the hospital, but that they do occur,” Dr. Pieter Cohen, study author and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, told Health.
“The adverse events presented [in this study] are not new,” added Dr. Mahyar Etminan, associate professor of medicine at the University of British Columbia.
Although researchers noted that most drugs have some side effects, and most reported in the study were already known, they stress that these findings should not be minimized, and that doctors should do more to mitigate those that require hospitalization.
“Clinicians could counsel patients when initiating semaglutide about the potential for severe gastrointestinal adverse effects and adjust co-prescribed antidiabetic medications to decrease hypoglycemia risk,” the authors wrote.
Related: Ozempic Face — and Now Ozempic Breast and Butt? What’s Really Going on with These Side Effects?
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Packaged set of semaglutide injection pens
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The impacts of semaglutide and similar medications on the digestive system have been investigated; In June 2024, the drugs were linked to severe gastroparesis, also known as stomach paralysis, which the Mayo Clinic says “[prevents] your stomach from emptying properly.”
In September 2024, the FDA issued a warning that Ozempic can lead to a life-threatening condition known as ileus — a type of bowel obstruction where either sections or the entirety of the intestines become obstructed. This blockage can restrict blood flow to organs, resulting in tissue necrosis.
“We stand behind the safety and efficacy of Ozempic® when used as indicated,” the company said in its statement.
Read the original article on People
