What is Victoza (Liraglutide)?
Victoza is an injectable drug that is used to treat type 2 diabetic patients. However, this diabetes drug should not be used to treat type 1 diabetic patients. Victoza, which is the brand name of liraglutide, works by stimulating the pancreas to secrete more insulin. This helps to reduce high levels of blood glucose, especially after eating. This injectable medication can also help obese patients with diabetes lose weight. There are a number of ways liraglutide can help with weight loss. Evidence show that this drug can reduce your appetite, as it slows the process of food leaving the stomach. This makes you feel fuller for longer, thus you will eat less food. Saxenda, which contains liraglutide at a higher dose, was approved by the FDA to treat obese people without diabetes. Even though Victoza and Saxenda are manufactured by the same company, NovoNordisk, they should not be used together to treat patients with diabetes. Victoza is specifically meant for diabetic people, while Saxenda is approved for weight loss.
How much weight can you lose with Victoza?
A study that was conducted a few years ago showed that Victoza/liraglutide taken in higher doses, can lead to weight loss in obese people without diabetes. On average, obese people who took liraglutide for a whole year lost 8%body weight compared to only 2.6% of the body weight shed by obese people using a placebo. The medication comes in dose strength of 1.2mg and 1.8mg that is given to patients with diabetes. However, when the drug was given at a higher dose of 3mg, it produced more weight loss than the lower doses. Thus the study concluded that Victoza can help obese people to reduce weight when taken at a higher dose. The evidence shows this medication can help obese people with diabetes control their blood glucose and lose weight.
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