Some outcomes, like reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and increased chance of nausea, were expected. But others took researchers by surprise.

Weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have been tied in a large, national study to a drop in the risk of developing dozens of health conditions. But the semaglutide-like drugs also appear to increase the risk of many others.

The new treatment targets gut hormone GLP-1 but also mimics amylin, a hormone released by the pancreas that suppresses hunger.

People who stayed on a 7.2 milligram weekly dose of semaglutide lost around 20% of their body weight over 72 weeks.

The findings, based on an analysis of records from 2.5 million VA patients, support much of what scientists already suspected but contain surprises, too.

Recent findings indicate that widely used weight-loss medications might lead to muscle loss, including vital heart muscle, potentially leading to serious health complications over time. Experts call for more research and a cautious approach to using these drugs,

In one corner, we’ve got Mounjaro, and in the other, Ozempic. They’re both once-a-week injectable drugs designed to help patients with type 2 diabetes manage blood sugar.

Federal officials are targeting the blockbuster drugs as part of their ongoing initiative to lower drug costs.