You are taking Ozempic or Wegovy and aren’t losing weight? 20% of patients are in the same boat. Here’s why

In clinical trials, most participants taking Wegovy or Mounjaro to treat obesity lost an average of 15% to 22% of their body weight — up to 50 pounds or more in many cases. But roughly 10% to 15% of patients in those trials were “nonresponders” who lost less than 5% of their body weight.

…

[P]erhaps 20% of patients — as many as 1 in 5 — may not respond well to the medications. It’s a little-known consequence of the obesity drug boom, according to doctors who caution eager patients not to expect one-size-fits-all results.

Genetics, hormones and variability in how the brain regulates energy can all influence weight — and a person’s response to the drugs, said [Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity expert at Massachusetts General Hospital]. Medical conditions such as sleep apnea can prevent weight loss, as can certain common medications, such as antidepressants, steroids and contraceptives.

“This is a disease that stems from the brain,” said Stanford. “The dysfunction may not be the same” from patient to patient.

This is an excerpt. Read the original post here