Obesity can affect men and women indistinctly: 16.5% of men and 15.5% of women suffer from this problem in Spain. This problem is addressed mainly through a change in habits, but in some cases In very specific cases, a route can be opened through drugs such as Saxenda, a drug that is injected daily and whose active ingredient is liraglutide, the same one used to treat type 2 diabetes.
What function does this drug have?
According to the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products, Saxenda is a weight loss medicine that contains the active ingredient liraglutide. It is similar to a naturally occurring hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that is released in the intestine after eating.
Saxenda acts on receptors in the brain that control appetite and it makes them feel fuller and less hungry. In this way, it can help you eat less and reduce body weight.
Who can benefit from Saxenda
Saxenda is currently used for weight loss along with a proper diet and exercise. in adults over 18 years of age with:
- A BMI of 30 kg/m2 or higher (obese) or
- A BMI of 27 kg/m2 and up to less than 30 kg/m2 (overweight) and weight-related health problems (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal levels of fats in the blood, or sleep-disordered breathing called “obstructive sleep apnea”) of sleep”)
The recommendation is that Saxenda should only be continued if at least 5% of initial body weight has been lost after 12 weeks on treatment with a daily dose of 3.0 mg.
On the other hand, Saxenda can be used for weight management in adolescent patients from 12 years of age with these conditions:
- Obesity (diagnosed by the doctor)
- Body weight greater than 60 kg
In contrast, in adolescents aged 12 years and older, Saxenda should only continue to be used if at least 4% of their BMI has been lost after 12 weeks on treatment with a dose of 3.0 mg/day or the maximum tolerated dose (dose to be decided by the doctor himself).
Side Effects of Saxenda
Like any drug, the use of this one can also cause side effects that, depending on the person, will be more or less serious. Among the side effects we can find:
- Headache
- Constipation
- Heartburn
- Runny nose, sneezing, or cough
- Unusual changes in mood or behavior
- vomiting and nausea
- Swelling of the eyes, face, mouth, tongue or throat,
- Rash and a long etc.
It is very important to repeat and clarify that the use of Saxenda should only be authorized by a doctor and that in no case should it be used without any type of prescription.
Finally, we suggest that if you are overweight or obese, whether you use Saxenda or not, high and low intensity physical exercise (because of the benefits that each one has) and is carried out a change in eating habits not only in order to lose body fat, but for the improvement of health in all aspects that it can lead.
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