Mounjaro users panic as new rule is introduced before they can access the next dose
Weight-loss jab users have reacted with fury to a new rule they fear will cut them off from treatment as health bosses clamp down on patients abusing the drugs to get thin rather than taking them for health reasons.
Online pharmacies have quietly introduced a requirement for patients to submit full-body photos or videos when they need to renew their prescriptions for the jabs.
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The Independent
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- The Independent
‘True original' student killed while skydiving in Devon was ‘beautiful soul'
Family and friends of a university student who was among two people killed while skydiving have described him as a 'true original'. Chiropractic student Adam Harrison, 30, died in the incident near Dunkeswell Aerodrome in Devon on Friday June 13. Mr Harrison, from Bournemouth, was a student at the town's Health Sciences University. In a statement, his family and friends said: 'From the very first moment you met Adam, you felt it – that spark. He didn't simply enter a room; he lit it up. 'With boundless energy, an infectious laugh, and a natural warmth that made everyone feel like a lifelong friend, Adam was a true original. 'He was, as so many have said, 'one of a kind', a beautiful soul whose kindness and charisma left a mark on everyone lucky enough to know him. 'Adam had a way of turning ordinary days into unforgettable adventures. Whether he was swinging through trees at Go Ape, chasing dreams in the sky as a tandem instructor, or lifting spirits at every party, he carried a joy that was impossible to ignore. He made life feel lighter – funnier, freer, more alive. 'He approached everything he loved with passion – from skydiving and snowboarding to spontaneous adventures and silly jokes. He was always chasing joy, and he brought others along for the ride. Even in life's toughest moments, Adam chose light.' Mother-of-four Belinda Taylor, 48, from Totnes, also died in the incident, which is now the subject of an investigation. In a statement, Skydive Buzz said it was 'heartbroken' by the incident and was fully co-operating with the investigation. It said: 'Our deepest condolences go out to the families, friends, and everyone affected by this devastating event.'As per standard procedure, the relevant authorities were contacted immediately, and the appropriate investigation protocols were initiated without delay. 'A British Skydiving Board of Inquiry will now investigate the accident. 'Once complete, a report – including conclusions and any recommendations – will be submitted to the coroner, the police, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the British Skydiving Safety & Training Committee (STC), and other relevant bodies. 'Safety is, and always has been, our top priority. We are fully co-operating with the investigation and continue to uphold the highest possible standards in everything we do. 'No further details will be provided at this time. We respectfully ask for privacy for all those affected, including our team, during this incredibly difficult time.' The Civil Aviation Authority confirmed it was aware of the incident but could not comment further due to the ongoing investigation. A spokesman added: 'We will work closely with the relevant authorities to understand what happened and are awaiting the report into the incident.'
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
New Ozempic alternative only needs to be taken once a month and leads to ‘substantial weight loss'
A NEW weight loss jab that only needs to be taken once monthly leads to "substantial weight loss", according to early trials. Drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro - or diabetes jab Ozempic - need to be injected once weekly to see results. 1 But a new drug currently being trialled by pharmaceutical company Amgen can be given once a month and saw users shed up to 16 per cent of their body weight over the course of a year. This is bellow the 20 per cent weight loss than can be achieved through Mounjaro - dubbed the 'King Kong' of weight loss jabs - over 18 months. But scientists behind the new trial said the less frequent dose schedule could encourage people to stick to the treatment. The drug is called maridebart cafraglutide, or MariTide for short. Like Wegoy, Mounjaro and Ozempic, it's a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, meaning it targets the GLP-1 receptors in the brain and pancreas to reduce appetite and control blood sugar. But it also targets glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptors, which are also involved in managing insulin release, fat storage, metabolism, and appetite. This is part of the reason the drug needs to be administered less often. "In this phase two trial, once-monthly maridebart cafraglutide resulted in substantial weight reduction in participants with obesity with or without type 2 diabetes," they wrote in The New England Journal of Medicine. "Once-monthly therapeutics for obesity may offer sustainable treatment for persons with this highly prevalent, chronic disease. "Medication at less frequent intervals may improve adherence and reduce barriers, potentially facilitating improvements in long-term health outcomes." There were 592 people aged 18 or older enrolled in the study - 465 of them were obese, defined as having a BMI of 30 or more, or a BMI of 27 with one obesity-related complication. The remaining participants had obesity as well as type 2 diabetes. They were randomly given monthly maridebart cafraglutide injections or a placebo for a year, at dose of 140, 280, or 420 mg. Some participants remained on a stable dose throughout, while others gradually worked up to a higher one. Participants were asked to report any side effects they experienced from the drug, such as nausea, vomiting, retching, headaches, diarrhoea and constipation Those with obesity lost 12.3 to 16.2 per cent of their body weight while taking maridebart cafraglutide over 52 weeks, compared to people taking a placebo who only lost 2.5 per cent of their weight. As for people with diabetes and obesity, they lost 8.4 to 12.3 per cent of their body weight on the drug, compared to 1.7 per cent weight loss for placebo-takers. Almost all participants taking maridebart cafraglutide experienced at least one side-effect from the drug - mild to moderate nausea, vomiting and retching were the most frequently reported side-effects. These effects were less severe when participants gradually built up to a full dose of maridebart cafraglutide, which may be the best way to get people started on it in the future. Everything you need to know about fat jabs Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases. Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK. Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market. Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year. How do they work? The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight. They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists. They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high. Can I get them? NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics. Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure. GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss. Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk. Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health. Are there any risks? Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild. Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea. Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.' Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia. Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health. Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines. Two deaths were reported in participants who received maridebart cafraglutide, but both were investigated and deemed unrelated to the drug. A handful of people taking the drug reported gallbladder issues, which can also be an issue with other weight loss jabs. Some also experienced depression and suicidal thoughts while participating in the trial. One person taking maridebart cafraglutide and one person on the placebo drug withdrew as a result. This was a phase two clinical trial, meaning it still needs to be tested on a bigger group of participants over a longer time period. Amgen deemed the results promising enough to progress to a phase three trial. "This phase two dose-ranging trial investigating the efficacy and safety of maridebart cafraglutide, a long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist and GIP receptor antagonist administered once monthly or less frequently, showed substantial weight reduction and no new or unexpected safety signals, supporting advancement to phase three," researchers wrote. They estimated MariTide could lead to even more weight loss, beyond a year of use. they noted.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Does cheese before bed really give you nightmares? A study FINALLY settles the debate
If the old wives' tale is anything to be believed, those who want a peaceful nights' sleep shouldn't tuck into cheese and biscuits right before bed. But is there any truth to the myth? A study has finally settled the debate on whether cheese gives you nightmares. And the findings might make you think twice about your late evening snack choice. The research, carried out by luxury sleep brand The Odd Company, involved recruiting 30 participants who dined on four of the UK's most popular cheeses – brie, cheddar, stilton and mozzarella – over four nights. They discovered that eating cheese before bed increased the likelihood of nightmares by 93 per cent. Participants reported that their dreams took a darker, more stressful and often frightening turn after eating cheese, the experts found. They described vivid and often unsettling dreams that included being cheated on, bumping into an ex, being forgotten on a birthday, friends under attack from flying robots and being scolded by a teacher at a salsa class. The worst cheese for nightmares was found to be brie. It triggered nightmares in 68 per cent of people who ate it, compared to 63 per cent for stilton, 56 per cent for cheddar and 40 per cent for mozzarella. The study also revealed that consuming cheese before bed led to half of participants losing an average of one hour and seven minutes of sleep per night. Analysis revealed women lost around five minutes more sleep, on average, than men. Amie Alexander, a registered dietitian at Nutri Peak, said: 'Cheese can affect the quality and quantity of sleep based on its nutritional composition. 'It contains saturated fats and protein, which take a long time to digest and can raise body temperature. 'If your digestive system is still working hours later after snacking on cheese at midnight, it will prevent your body from reaching deep, restorative levels of sleep.' She explained that another route possibly linking cheese to dreams is that it contains tryptophan. This is an amino acid involved in the synthesis of serotonin and melatonin - neurotransmitters responsible for mood, sleep, and internal body clock regulation. High levels of serotonin may influence REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, during which the most vivid dreaming occurs. 'Cheese contains tyramine, particularly in aged cheeses like Parmesan, Gouda, and Roquefort,' Ms Alexander added. 'Tyramine is said to induce the release of norepinephrine, a stimulant that can increase activity in the heart and brain. 'This could lead to more intense dreams or more awakenings during REM stages in sensitive people, with the possible subsequent remembering of unpleasant or vivid dreams.' According to the Mayo Clinic artisan, handmade, or aged cheeses tend to be high in tyramine. Cheddar and Stilton contain particularly high levels due to their aging processes, while Brie also ranks relatively high in tyramine content. Mozzarella, on the other hand, is a fresh, non-aged cheese typically made from pasteurised milk, meaning it contains significantly lower levels of tyramine. This might help explain why mozzarella ranks lowest for nightmares. Commenting on the findings Andrew Seed, managing director at The Odd Company, said: 'For all the cheese-lovers out there, we'd recommend enjoying your cheeseboard at least two to four hours before sleeping.' A previous study, carried out by the British Cheese Board, indicated that cheese could actually aid sleep. The research, which involved 200 volunteers in a week-long experiment, found that after eating a 20g piece of cheese 30 minutes before going to sleep, 72 per cent of the volunteers slept very well every night. The findings showed that none of the participants reported nightmares. Dr Judith Bryans, a nutrition scientist at The Dairy Council at the time, said: 'One of the amino acids in cheese - tryptophan - has been shown to reduce stress and induce sleep so cheese may actually help you have a good night's sleep.' HOW TO COPE WITH SLEEP PROBLEMS Poor sleep can lead to worrying and worrying can lead to poor sleep, according to the mental-health charity Mind. A lack of shut eye is considered a problem when it impacts on a person's daily life. As a result, they may feel anxious if they believe lack of sleep prevents them from rationalising their thoughts. Insomnia is also associated with depression, psychosis and PTSD. Establishing a sleep routine where you go to bed and get up at the same time every day can help a person spend less time in bed and more time asleep. Calming music, breathing exercises, visualising pleasant memories and meditation also encourage shut eye. Having tech-free time an hour or so before bed can also prepare you for sleep. If you still struggle to nod off, keeping a sleep diary where you record the hours you spend asleep and the quality of your shut eye on a scale of one to five can be a good thing to show your doctor. Also note how many times you wake in the night, if you need to nap, if you have nightmares, your diet and your general mood. Sleep problems can be a sign of an underlying physical condition, like pain. Talking therapies can help your recongise unhelpful thought patterns that might affect sleep. While medication, such as sleeping pills, can help break short periods of insomnia and help you return to better a sleeping pattern.
