Weight loss by 4 clothing sizes! An innovative medication has arrived in Serbia; Dr Stokić: ‘It also reduces the risk of heart attack!’
The only innovative medicine that was missing for the treatment of obesity in accordance with the National Guidelines has arrived in Serbia and by the end of the week it will be in pharmacies in larger cities. In our country, where half the population is overweight and obese and where the leading cause of death is cardiovascular disease, which claims 50,000 lives annually, the arrival of the medicine “vigovi” (Wegovy) is important because, aside from weight loss, its main benefit is the reduction of the risk of heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death by 20 per cent. This is precisely what distinguishes it from other medicines for the treatment of obesity
In accordance with the Ministry of Health’s National Guidelines of Good Clinical Practice “Treatment of Obesity”, the last medicine that was missing has now arrived – “vigovi” (Wegovy), currently at the patient’s own expense. The medicine, whose generic name is “semaglutide”, is intended for the reduction and maintenance of body weight and is a so-called GLP-1 inhibitor (glucagon-like peptide), and its role is to provide a feeling of satiety by acting on receptors in the brain that control appetite, which leads to reduced food intake. It is similar, as stated in the instructions, to the natural hormone GLP-1, which is released from the intestines after a meal. It is intended for everyone aged 12 and above, under certain indications. It is not for children, patients with type 1 diabetes, pregnant women or nursing mothers. Patients receive it exclusively on a doctor’s recommendation and administer it themselves using an injection pen, and the therapy is introduced over 16 weeks and may last for years. It is similar to the popular “ozempic”, but unlike “ozempic”, which is primarily intended for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, the primary purpose of “vigovi” is weight loss.
“Obesity is recognised both globally and in Serbia as a chronic, progressive and relapsing disease ([NB] returning). It affects nearly a billion people worldwide, and estimates suggest that this number will double by 2035. Unfortunately, our country follows this trend of growth. The prevalence of obesity in Serbia is over 20 per cent, i.e. every fourth person has a body mass index (BMI) over 30, and every second person is overweight and obese (BMI over 25),” says for Kurir endocrinologist Professor Edita Stokić from the Clinical Centre of Vojvodina, adding:
“It is a misconception to view excess body weight as an aesthetic problem. Obesity is associated with more than 220 health complications, the most common of which are cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, reproductive organ disease, fatty liver disease and steatohepatitis and, last but not least, it is linked to a large number of cancers. By treating obesity we prevent the occurrence of many conditions which, to a lesser or greater extent, are fatal to the general population.”
It is used in adults who have:
- A body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m² or higher (obesity)
- A BMI of 27 kg/m² and less than 30 kg/m² (overweight) and health problems related to body weight, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal blood fat levels, sleep breathing problems (obstructive sleep apnoea) or who have had a heart attack, stroke or vascular problems
- In adolescents aged 12 years and older who are obese and have a body weight >60 kg
telesna masa) i zdravstvene probleme povezane sa telesnom masom, kao što su dijabetes, visok krvni pritisak, poremećen nivo masti u krvi, disajne probleme u snu (opstruktivna apneja u snu) ili su imali srčani udar, moždani udar ili problem sa krvnim sudovima
- kod adolescenata uzrasta od 12 godina i starijih koji imaju gojaznost i telesnu masu >60 kg
Primena leka:
- preporučena doza od 2,4 mg jednom nedeljno
- počinje malom dozom (0,25 mg jednom nedeljno), koja se postepeno povećava tokom 16 nedelja lečenja
- primenjujete sami pod kožu (supkutanom injekcijom), najbolja mesta prednja strana nadlaktice, butina ili stomak
- ako je moguće, istog dana svake sedmice u bilo koje doba dana, nezavisno od obroka
Lek se ne sme primenjivati:
- kod alergije (preosetljivosti) na semaglutid ili bilo koju pomoćnu supstancu
Ne preporučuje se ako pacijent:
- koristi druge lekove za smanjenje telesne mase
- ima dijabetes tip 1
- ima ozbiljno oštećenje funkcije bubrega
- ima ozbiljno oštećenje funkcije jetre
- ima ozbiljnu srčanu insuficijenciju
- ima bolest oka uzrokovanu dijabetesom (retinopatija)
More than two-thirds of cardiovascular deaths, the professor notes, are associated with obesity, according to the latest available epidemiological statistics.
“In addition to being highly effective in reducing body weight, the medicine ‘vigovi’ has been proven to lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases, which cause 50,000 deaths annually. For the time being, ‘vigovi’ is the only medicine that reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular death by 20 per cent. This means that by using it, patients not only reduce their body weight but also gain serious additional benefits for their health and overall quality of life,” the professor underlines.
