CDC warns more education needed, as fat jabs send 25,000 Americans to hospital
1 May 2025, 11:30 | Updated: 22 May 2025, 12:48
A new American study has linked weight loss drugs to nearly 25,000 emergency room trips.
Listen to this article
Loading audio...
As ‘fat jab’, Ozempic-style drugs continue to skyrocket in popularity, more and more copycat brands are popping up in the UK.
But a recent US study warns users may need more education and risk awareness before they pay for any ‘miracle’ weight-loss concoctions.
Led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the research cites Semaglutide, the key ingredient in weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, as a contributing factor in nearly 25,000 trips to the ER.
While some people experienced allergic reactions to the drug, others were admitted to hospital with hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and digestive issues like nausea, vomiting and severe diarrhea.
Digestive issues such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea are listed as common side effects of the drug - but symptoms like blood in stool, constipation and excess bloating are noted as more of a cause for concern.
A small number of people in the study also experienced pancreatitis, and issues with their gallbladder.
Read More: What you need to know about weight loss jabs and how to make them work effectively
While authors of the study noted that hospitalisations were “infrequent”, they still suggested doctors could be doing more to educate on the potentially severe side effects of the drug.
“Clinicians could counsel patients when initiating semaglutide about the potential for severe gastrointestinal adverse effects,” they wrote.
They also recommended co-prescribing antidiabetic medications for those at risk of hypoglycaemia, and evaluating risks on a patient-by-patient basis.
The study also noted that a portion of the hospitalisations could have come from unknown copycats of Ozempic.
Novo Nordisk, Ozempic’s parent company, is yet to respond to the study.
