It has been suggested that an ‘unusual’ new side effect of weight-loss jabs is on the rise.
While drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro may have been used in Hollywood and A-list celebrity circles for a number of years, they have absolutely soared in popularity this year among us mere common folk.
Far more people are using the treatments for weight-loss, as the NHS now offers Mounjaro on prescription for this.
Typically designed for treating type 2 diabetes, the medicines are often referred to as GLP-1 agonists and they can help with losing weight as they make food leave the stomach slower, meaning people feel fuller for longer.
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But of course, like any other drugs, there are a number of side effects linked to the drugs – typically nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation.
However, a newly found one is that the GLP-1 drugs may interfere with medical imaging.
And experts warn this could mean a delay in diagnoses and treatments for some or even that others may end up having tests and procedures that they didn’t actually need in the first place.
Researchers from Alliance Medical (an imaging service provider that is a supplier to the NHS) reviewed oncologic FDG PET-CT in patients who were using GLP-1 jabs.
This type of medical imaging combines two scans to show both the function of your organs and tissues as a PET scan uses a small amount of radiation to scan inside and CTs use X-rays to take detailed pictures.
When a PET scan takes place, the patient gets an IV injection of a radioactive substance fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) with diseased cells in the body absorbing more of it than healthy ones do. So, ‘hot spots’ get highlighted.
However, doctors have noticed a number of abnormal patterns of FDG uptake in those using GLP-1 drugs with the warning they could be misinterpreted if medication history is not considered by doctors in their diagnosis.
Medical director at the provider and lead author of the study, Dr Peter Strouhal, said in a statement: “We noticed unusual uptake in one of our patients on a GLP-1 agonist, which prompted a wider review across our network.”
Adding that they found these patterns to be ‘increasingly common’, he said: “Yet there is currently no national or international guidance in the UK addressing this emerging issue.”
As the team don’t necessarily recommend that patients stop using GLP-1 medications before scans, they advise imaging professionals to carefully document patients’ history in order to help prevent misinterpretations.
“Recognizing the characteristic uptake associated with GLP-1 agonists helps avoid unnecessary anxiety and interventions, ensuring patients receive the right care, at the right time, without detours or doubt,” Dr Strouhal added.
The team plan to build stronger evidence for future national guidelines.
LADbible Group has contacted Lilly (the manufacturer of Mounjaro) and Novo Nordisk (the manufacturer of Ozempic) for comment.
Jess Battison