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Straits Times
a day ago
- Health
- Straits Times
The unexpected symptoms of OCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder involves a set of obsessions and compulsions that causes great distress and affects people's quality of life. PHOTO: VANESSA SABA/NYTIMES NEW YORK – When most people think of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) , they may picture behaviours they have seen on TV – like repetitive hand-washing, flicking light switches on and off, and meticulously arranging small items over and over. But the disorder manifests in many other ways. Some patients obsess over thoughts that they might hurt someone, while others fixate on certain aspects of their personal relationships. American comedienne Maria Bamford, for example, has called her OCD 'unwanted thoughts syndrome'. On talk show The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, she shared a story about how she could not stop thinking horrific thoughts about her family members. On social media, people describe many types of obsessions and compulsions: 'relationship OCD', 'sexual orientation OCD', 'emotional contamination OCD'. These are not separate diagnoses, but different expressions of the same disorder – much like how people with phobias can suffer from different fears, said Dr Carolyn Rodriguez, an OCD expert and professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at Stanford Medicine. Understanding these distinctions can help clinicians tailor a precise treatment plan, she added. And they are important for the public to grasp as well. Otherwise, people who experience the disorder might not recognise that they have it, Dr Rodriguez said. People who are fearful of harming others might think, 'Maybe I am a murderer', she added. 'If I tell anybody these things, I'm going to be put in jail.' Here is what to know about the diverse ways that OCD shows up. First, what is OCD? OCD involves a set of obsessions and compulsions that causes great distress and affects people's quality of life. Obsessions can include unwanted intrusive thoughts, images or urges that dominate the mind. Compulsions are repetitive actions that people take in response to their obsessions to try to help themselves feel better. These symptoms can be time-consuming, lasting for at least an hour a day, according to the diagnostic manual used by mental health practitioners. If someone worries excessively that he or she will set the house on fire by accidentally leaving the stove on, for instance, he or she might check again and again to make sure the knobs are in the off position. About 2.3 per cent of American adults are estimated to have had OCD at some point in their lifetime, according to the United States' National Institute of Mental Health . Women are more likely to receive a diagnosis than men. More research is needed to further understand the origins of OCD, which is thought to have genetic and environmental causes. What are the different types of OCD? While all people with the disorder have obsessions and compulsions, 'OCD across patients is almost never exactly the same', said Dr Jeremy Tyler, co-chief of ambulatory psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. People with OCD can differ in many ways, including whether they have tics – involuntary, repetitive movements or vocalisations. Patients also vary in their degree of insight – their level of awareness of being ill – as well as in how they feel when their symptoms are triggered. Another way patients differ is in the content of their obsessions and compulsions. Concerns about contamination, a need for symmetry or order, forbidden or taboo thoughts, and a fear of harming others or yourself are common themes, said Dr Helen Blair Simpson, a psychiatry professor and OCD researcher at Columbia University. The International OCD Foundation lists other themes as well, including sexual thoughts; fixations on relationships; worries that tie into responsibility, like being responsible for something terrible happening; and fears related to perfectionism, like showing excessive worry about making mistakes. Patients and therapists have labelled some of these themes in online forums, coining terms like 'symmetry and order OCD' and 'perfectionism OCD'. Creating names for different expressions of OCD may help sufferers feel less alone, Dr Rodriguez said. Often, more than one theme can be present at the same time, and the content of a person's obsession or compulsion can change over the course of the disorder, experts said. How is OCD treated? OCD is typically treated with an antidepressant, exposure and response prevention therapy, or both. Therapy involves asking patients to experience their stress and anxiety without performing a compulsive act in response. Therapists will also encourage patients to allow their obsessions to surface rather than continually try to push them away. It is particularly important for therapists to know someone's 'type' when carrying out exposure and response prevention therapy, because clinicians can then ensure their patients are being exposed to the precise type of situations that typically stir up their obsessions, Dr Tyler noted. 'I eat food off the ground with people; I hold knives with people,' he said. It may sound wild, he added, but in the process, patients learn that the thing they fear most is not likely to happen. NYTIMES Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Korea Herald
6 days ago
- Health
- Korea Herald
The Brain Prize: HM The King of Denmark presents prestigious prize to US and German scientists for seminal discoveries in brain cancer
Two pioneering scientists received The Brain Prize 2025 for their discoveries that open an entirely new way of thinking about and understanding brain cancers, and the potential strategies to treat them. COPENHAGEN, Denmark, May 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- HM King Frederik of Denmark presented neuroscientists, Professors Michelle Monje (USA) and Frank Winkler (Germany), with their Brain Prize medals and a diploma at a ceremony in Copenhagen Wednesday evening. The Brain Prize is the world's largest award for outstanding contributions to neuroscience worth EUR 1.3 million. During the ceremony, HM The King gave a speech praising the two prize recipients for their discoveries: "Your achievements in cancer neuroscience are truly extraordinary. You are an inspiration not only to your peers, but to generations of scientists yet to come. Thanks to your tireless efforts, there is hope that one day all types of brain cancer can be cured." Monje and Winkler have made transformative discoveries by showing that the everyday activity that takes place in the brain drives the development of cancers within it. Recent studies further show that the influence of the nervous system is not only limited to tumours in the brain, but also tumours throughout the body. These remarkable findings have laid the foundation for an entirely new field of research called 'Cancer Neuroscience' that represents a paradigm shift in the understanding of these cancers, and which offers vital new opportunities for treatment. New treatments are critical since cancers that arise in the brain, particularly the ones known as gliomas, are extraordinarily difficult to treat, and are the leading cause of brain tumour-related deaths in both children and adults. The Brain Prize has been awarded every year since 2011 by the Lundbeck Foundation. The celebration takes place in Copenhagen, and this year 360 invited guests attended. Guests of honor were the prize winners and their families, as well as patron of the prize, HM The King of Denmark. The Brain Prize 2025 is awarded to: Michelle Monje MD, PhD, the Milan Gambhir Professor of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology at Stanford Medicine and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, and Frank Winkler, MD, Professor of Experimental Neuro-Oncology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg University Hospital, Department of Neurology, and German Cancer Research Center for: Pioneering Cancer Neuroscience: disease-driving interactions between the brain and brain tumours. MORE INFO A portrait film about the 2025 Brain Prize winners and their science (10 min.) is available at alongside various additional information on the prize.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Creatine Is No Longer Just for Muscles. The Benefits on Brain Health, Memory, and Mood Are Shocking Experts.
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." IN A SMALL Missouri pharmacy, Drew Dible carefully measures out a five-gram dose of a fine white powder. The almost crystalline substance isn't for a customer, but for him. And it's not a prescription medication, but a supplement: creatine monohydrate. Dible is a 31-year-old pharmacist with an athletic build, standing 6'4" and weighing roughly 200 pounds. He's always stayed in shape—5Ks, 10Ks, weightlifting—but he's never taken any supplements except for a multivitamin. 'Most of this wellness stuff always struck me as a bit scammy, so I didn't waste my money on it,' he says. But Dible isn't taking creatine because he's looking to enhance his kipping power, or hit a race PR, or really for any reason related to physical fitness. He's taking creatine for his brain. When he hit his early 30s, Dible says, he wanted to hedge against any age-related mental decline. For all of us entering our 30s, distractions accumulate and the mental sharpness we took for granted in our teens and 20s gives way to something else. 'I didn't feel a lack of focus at the time so much as a desire for more focus,' Dible says. During the pandemic, he started listening to Huberman Lab, the powerhouse podcast from wellness influencer Andrew Huberman, PhD, associate professor of neurobiology at Stanford Medicine. Since 2021, Huberman has released eight episodes with 'creatine' in the title. He and his guests have extolled the numerous mental health virtues of the supplement, from boosting memory to mitigating the effects of traumatic brain injury and concussion. 'Creatine, known for its role in improving physical performance, has also been shown (in several quality clinical trials) to improve mood and help the symptoms of major depression,' Huberman posted on Twitter in 2021. He's all in—taking 10 to 15 grams daily—and so are longevity and performance expert Peter Attia, MD, and bro-whisperer extraordinaire Joe Rogan. So Dible began taking creatine, stirred into water and chugged before work. The hope was that it would help him maintain focus during his busy days. Once relegated to the dark recesses of bodybuilders' gym bags, creatine is creating all kinds of buzz in the neuroscience world for its supposed brain benefits and is muscling its way into mainstream wellness culture. You may have noticed: Creatine is everywhere. You can now find the stuff featured as the special ingredient in protein bars, energy drinks, and (because it's 2025) gummies. Next-gen supplement companies like Momentous, Thorne, and Onnit are making creatine cornerstone products—and many of them are spotlighting brain health benefits as part of their sell. SHOP OUR FAVORITE CREATINE SUPPLEMENTS The market for creatine is booming. The Vitamin Shoppe's trend report from 2023 showed creatine sales up 120 percent year over year. The global creatine supplement market is currently valued at a hulking $501 million—and projected to swell to $923 million by 2033, according to Future Market Insights. All this is wild if you consider where creatine was 35 years ago. Back then, the supplement was widely regarded as (and sometimes even marketed as) a cousin of steroids. Any talk of creatine's powers was not broadcast, and there were, supposedly, risks. Creatine could help you bulk up fast, but it might also wreck your kidneys, destroy your liver, and bloat you beyond recognition in the process. Supplementing with creatine was considered by many a potentially dangerous ploy by strength athletes in need of a boost. Now you can find the stuff at Target. What's changed? And are all these supposed brain benefits for real? TO KNOW WHERE creatine is going, it's important to know where it's been—and especially what the stuff actually is. Biologically, creatine is a compound found in red meat, fish, and milk. Your body can make creatine on its own, but not close to the levels found in modern supplements. And those supplements, up until just a few years ago, were marketed as muscle enhancers. That's because creatine's primary function, according to research from as far back as the 1930s, is to enhance performance of quick bursts of activity by producing adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, the body's energy currency. Creatine monohydrate, the synthetic form of creatine, wasn't commercially available until 1993. Taking the supplement wasn't without some sense of risk, either. Back in the early '90s, the FDA possessed limited power to regulate supplements—the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, which equipped the FDA with some oversight authority, wasn't passed until 1994. Plus, there were no third-party testing facilities to verify the safety and quality of supplements. (Those facilities didn't really exist until 1999.) So if you wanted to take creatine monohydrate—or, really, any supplement—you were on your own in terms of effectiveness and risk. In addition, the scientific research that existed on creatine monohydrate in the '90s was largely conducted by the same companies that were pushing supplements. Despite the roll-the-dice nature of taking creatine back then, the supplement gained popularity in key markets: professional and collegiate athletes looking for a legal competitive edge, as well as teens looking to bulk up their mirror muscles. But as creatine use spread, so, too, did the rumors that the supplement would damage your kidneys and liver—and might even be just as hazardous as steroids. A front-page New York Times story from 1997 connected deaths in wrestling to creatine use. (Soon after, the FDA determined that creatine was not the cause of death, and in fact, the weight-loss drug ephedrine may have played a role.) Bad press didn't stop supplement manufacturers from selling creatine—or trying to expand its reach. Experimental & Applied Sciences, the first big-name supplement company to market creatine for muscle builders in the '90s, was sold for $320 million in 2004 (roughly $535 million in today's money). Creatine still lingered on the fringes. Even if lifters loved it, the general public was scared off by reports of its alleged dangers. The independent scientific community still hadn't determined if the supplement even delivered on its promises, either. Except—plot twist—the research would soon come through. LET'S SAY THAT you wanted to chisel a Mount Rushmore of creatine's elite researchers. You'd honor three men: Darren Candow, PhD, of the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada; Richard Kreider, PhD, of Texas A&M University; and Scott Forbes, PhD, of Brandon University in Manitoba, Canada. In 2001, for example, Candow backed up what many weightlifters and bodybuilders already knew: that supplementing with creatine and protein powder resulted in greater lean-muscle gains than with protein powder alone. In 2003, Kreider helped determine that long-term creatine supplementation (we're talking 21 months) produced zero negative health changes—including to the kidneys and liver. In 2008, Forbes and Candow showed that lifters who took creatine experienced greater muscle endurance and power on the bench press than those who didn't. The mounting evidence largely cleared creatine of its stigma. In 2007, the International Society of Sports Nutrition issued a statement saying that creatine was 'safe, effective, and ethical.' In the next decade, as online shopping made it easier for customers to buy supplements, creatine joined protein powder as a go-to for muscling up. As the popularity of creatine grew further, creatine researchers decided to comb through prior studies on the supplement. What they found was that the benefits of creatine supplementation extended far beyond the bench press. In 2017, Kreider, Candow, and their coauthors assessed nearly three decades of research—hundreds of studies—on creatine and saw a trove of potential benefits. Among the data that prior scientists had gathered, but not studied, was a link between creatine and brain health. There were signs that creatine supplementation, in clinical settings, might ease symptoms in people with neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, and even adolescent depression. This promise of creatine as a mental health hero set off a new wave of ongoing research on the supplement. 'We're seeing a lot of other applications for creatine now in terms of its role with certain neurodegenerative diseases, its role in brain health, and potentially both a prophylactic and treatment role for [traumatic brain injury] and concussion,' says Shawn Arent, PhD, CSCS*D, chair of the department of exercise science at the University of South Carolina. For instance, one 2024 meta-analysis of 16 creatine studies in Frontiers in Nutrition found that supplementation may improve memory, attention, and information processing in adults. Even more surprising: A Scientific Reports study from last year found that an acute dose of 15 to 20 grams of creatine monohydrate actually mitigated the drag of a bad night's sleep by revving up the brain's mitochondria. The possible mechanism behind creatine's mental health benefits is complex. Scientists believe that your brain, like your muscles, is metabolically active, accounting for as much as 20 percent of your body's energy consumption. Your gray matter—while not a muscle—may also store ATP, that valuable energetic compound made from creatine, which it uses for tasks and its general health. So influencers and forward-looking supplement companies might be onto something with their creatine-for-all recommendations. Emphasis on might. IF EXPERIMENTAL & Applied Sciences was the company that pushed creatine monohydrate into the world of muscle builders, Momentous is the company best known today for pushing the supplement to everyone else. The 'human performance' company (don't call it a supplement seller) was founded in 2016, but it struggled to find success in a crowded supplement market. In 2021, Jeff Byers, the current CEO of Momentous, along with business colleague Erica Good bought the company. Byers's résumé is far-ranging and includes both an MBA from the University of Southern California and a four-year career as an NFL center. 'In my playing days, I never understood creatine beyond building muscle mass,' Byers says. 'I didn't realize the cognitive and neuroprotective benefits until about three or four years ago.' And Good has said in company materials that, after watching her grandmother slip away to Alzheimer's, 'I'm a daily user of creatine…and probably will be for life.' In 2022, Momentous decided to lean in harder on the brain sell of its creatine supplement, which it had launched the year before with some success. But Byers says the decision to emphasize the mental benefits of creatine didn't come without lots of input. 'We started hearing more and more about it from our advisory board and research partners,' he says. 'Everyone was telling us that this is what people should be doing for long-term brain health.' On the product's label, Momentous now advertises: 'Daily supplementation may help improve muscle performance and cognitive function.' (Emphasis added.) The move, along with stronger messaging around creatine and brain health in its press and marketing materials, worked. Creatine is now one of Momentous's best-selling supplements and is sold as part of the Momentous Three, a $130 bundle of the company's most essential products (the others being protein powder and an omega-3 supplement). Momentous's advisory board is vast. Beyond pro athletes and coaches, it includes human-performance scientist Andy Galpin, PhD, and neurophysiologist Louisa Nicola, who has a master's degree in medicine. And since 2022, Momentous has also had one high-powered creatine advocate on its board: Andrew Huberman. Byers says Huberman had a direct role in the company's pivot to focusing on creatine for brain health. (Huberman discloses on his website that he receives financial compensation from Momentous for serving as a scientific advisor. Momentous is a former sponsor of Huberman Lab. Huberman did not respond to a request for comment for this article.) Byers predicts that creatine will become a staple for Americans, much as multivitamins are. 'Our market is everyone—from executives to stay-at-home parents to seniors—who can benefit from taking creatine daily,' he says. That older demo is especially interesting. Sales of brain health supplements (not just creatine) are projected to rise, due in part to baby boomers looking to slow or prevent cognitive disorders. Seniors. Taking creatine. Who would have thought, right? FIRST, UNDERSTAND THAT the overwhelming majority of creatine supplements on the market still aren't third-party certified for sports, meaning that athletes who routinely take them may risk being banned if their creatine is tainted and they're tested. Also concerning: Uncertified products may not contain the level of creatine advertised on the label. Which is important because, second, dosing is critical. The actual amount of creatine in products can vary widely—especially in packaged foods and drinks looking to hitch their wagons to the next creatine gold rush. Swoly Creatine Mono Gummies contain four grams in five gummies. Creatine-enhanced energy bars like Fx Chocolate's Yes Whey!!! have only two grams per serving. LifeAid's FitAid RX creatine recovery drinks don't even list the amount of creatine per can. 'For most people, five grams will get the job done,' says Arent, the exercise scientist. But that's five grams daily for as long as you want to see physical results. And that five grams is for muscle growth and performance benefits only. Science hasn't yet established a threshold for cognitive gains—some researchers believe that it might be at least 10 grams and as much as 15. (The bulk of the research currently indicates that taking 0.1 grams per kilogram of body mass per day is safe.) As far-reaching as these potential cognitive benefits are, though, some experts urge caution for an important reason: Most research on creatine supplementation and brain health has been conducted on people who are deficient in creatine—not healthy people. A 2024 review in Behavioural Brain Research concluded that creatine supplementation has no significant effect on the brain health of young, healthy participants—and only mixed results for those with creatine deficiencies (vegans/vegetarians, the elderly, the sleep deprived, and the mentally fatigued). 'Remember, correction of any nutritional deficiency often shows really dramatic effects. We have a long history of people trying to extrapolate that to populations without the nutritional deficiency, and it never works out,' says Peter Robinson, MD, clinical assistant professor of neurology at The Ohio State University, who has been tracking creatine research. 'In other words, creatine doesn't appear likely to turn healthy individuals into superhumans.' So while the optimization camps push for everyone to take creatine for the mental health benefits, the scientific community isn't there yet—and may never be. But for the physical benefits, Arent says go for it—with conditions. 'Creatine monohydrate is still the go-to,' he explains. 'There are plenty of [other forms of creatine supplements], but if they have been shown to work, they work no better than creatine monohydrate.' Avoid liquid forms (creatine's effectiveness diminishes over time in a solution), find a product with five grams per dose, and make sure that product is third-party certified to ensure quality. 'Creatine should start to be considered part of an overall health plan,' Arent says. 'The same way we look at the importance of resistance training and aerobic exercise, and [it's] arguably even more important than a multivitamin.' Dible, the pharmacist in Missouri, says he has felt a subtle mental edge since he began his daily creatine regimen. 'I've started using it myself as a sort of personal biohacking project. I want to see if I notice any improvements in memory or focus.' Still, Dible says, he's not 100 percent convinced. You Might Also Like The Best Hair Growth Shampoos for Men to Buy Now 25 Vegetables That Are Surprising Sources of Protein
New York Post
12-05-2025
- Health
- New York Post
Doctors discover drug already on the market ‘could prevent 1 million new cases of Alzheimer's' a year
Alzheimer's affects nearly 7 million Americans, a number that's expected to spike to 13.9 million by 2060. Given the devastating effects of this incurable disease, the hunt is on for a drug that could help prevent or slow its progression. Now, a new study has found that nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) — a common class of medications for HIV — could dramatically decrease the risk of developing this neurodegenerative disorder. A new study has found that a common class of medications could dramatically decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Eric Hood – Analyzing data from over 270,000 patients aged 50 and older, researchers observed that the risk of Alzheimer's decreased by 6% to 13% for each year the patients were on NRTIs. These results are — to say the least — incredibly promising. 'It's estimated that over 10 million people around the world develop Alzheimer's disease annually,' said Jayakrishna Ambati, founding director of the University of Virginia Center for Advanced Vision Science. 'Our results suggest that taking these drugs could prevent approximately 1 million new cases of Alzheimer's disease every year.' NRTIs are primarily used to prevent HIV from replicating inside the body. Ambati's team discovered that these drugs also inhibit inflammasomes — immune system components implicated in Alzheimer's development. The risk of Alzheimer's decreased by 6% to 13% for each year the patients were on nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Atthapon – The next step would be to test NRTIs in clinical trials, although Ambati noted his team has already devised another drug that is going down that route. 'We have also developed a new inflammasome-blocking drug called K9, which is a safer and more effective version of NRTIs,' Ambati said. 'This drug is already in clinical trials for other diseases, and we plan to also test K9 in Alzheimer's disease.' The study was published last week in the journal Alzheimer's and Dementia. This finding adds to a growing number of potential Alzheimer's treatments. A compound found in rosemary and sage — carnosic acid — has been shown to reverse memory loss and reduce brain inflammation in mice with Alzheimer's, bringing their cognitive function back to near-normal levels. A study from Stanford Medicine found that seniors who received the shingles vaccine were 20% less likely to develop dementia over seven years. And researchers at Penn State and Stanford University discovered that a certain cancer drug could restore memory and brain function in early-stage Alzheimer's models.
Health Line
05-05-2025
- Health
- Health Line
Wegovy Reduced Inflammation, Scarring in People with Serious Liver Disease
Wegovy (semaglutide) could offer a new option to treat severe liver disease based on new clinical trial evidence. The GLP-1 drug resolved liver inflammation in nearly two-thirds of participants, twice the rate seen with placebo. Semaglutide had a favorable safety profile, with serious adverse events occurring at the same rate as placebo. Wegovy, a highly effective medication used to treat obesity, shows promise in treating a serious form of liver disease in a new clinical trial. The trial, funded by Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Wegovy (semaglutide), found the drug improved liver inflammation, scarring (fibrosis), and sometimes both in people with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The results were published on April 30 in The New England Journal of Medicine. MASH is an advanced stage of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), a condition formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. MASLD involves the buildup of fat in the liver, which can cause inflammation, liver cell injury, and fibrosis. About one-third of adults in the United States have MASLD. While not all cases lead to liver damage, about 5% of adults develop MASH, a more severe and potentially progressive form of the disease. Untreated, MASH can lead to life threatening complications, including cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure, and liver cancer. Currently, the only FDA-approved treatment for MASH in people with moderate to severe liver fibrosis is Rezdiffra (resmetirom), which received approval in March 2024. With few options available, the study authors note an urgent need for additional treatments. Sun Kim, MD, an associate professor of Endocrinology at Stanford Medicine who wasn't affiliated with the trial, echoed that assessment. 'Patients with diabetes are at high risk for MASLD, especially MASH and advanced fibrosis. Patients with advanced fibrosis are at higher risk for complications, including liver cancer and early death,' Kim told Healthline. 'Thus, we need more treatment options.' The authors also point out that Wegovy may provide added benefits by addressing the comorbidities commonly seen in people with MASH, such as cardiovascular disease and obesity, a cluster of conditions known as cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome. 'It's definitely exciting to have another therapeutic,' said Kim. Liver inflammation resolved in two-thirds of participants A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study is considered the gold standard in clinical research. The new study was part of an ongoing phase 3 clinical trial involving nearly 1,200 individuals. The interim analysis for these findings included 800 participants, who were mostly white adults evenly split between males and females, with an average age of 56. The majority (72%) were classified as obese based on body mass index (BMI), and more than half were also living with type 2 diabetes. After 72 weeks of treatment, nearly two-thirds of participants who received Wegovy showed resolution of liver inflammation (steatohepatitis) without any worsening of fibrosis, almost twice the rate seen in the placebo group. In addition, 37% of Wegovy users saw a reduction in liver fibrosis without a worsening of MASH, compared to 22% in the placebo group. A smaller subset — just under one-third — experienced both benefits: reduced fibrosis and resolved inflammation. That combined improvement was seen in only 16% of those receiving a placebo. These results underscore the challenge of treating MASH. Inflammation and fibrosis are distinct disease processes, and a drug may improve one without affecting the other. As this trial shows, achieving both outcomes remains difficult. While some participants did achieve both outcomes simultaneously, an ideal therapeutic goal, this combined outcome was less common than improvement in either condition alone. That complexity helps explain why so few medications have received FDA approval for MASH. Targeting both aspects of the disease at once remains a significant challenge. 'There are over 20 drugs in phase 2 and 3. However, it is difficult to reverse liver fibrosis. I describe fibrosis to patients as liver scarring due to inflammation associated with liver steatosis/fat. It's easier to prevent the injury than to reverse the scar,' said Kim. Wegovy also showed a favorable safety profile. By week 72, 88% of participants were able to maintain their target dose. Overall, adverse events were slightly more common in the Wegovy group (86%) than in the placebo group (79%). However, both groups experienced the same rate of serious adverse events (13%). The most common side effects in both groups were gastrointestinal. Participants taking Wegovy more frequently reported: Wegovy improved comorbid health conditions The trial also revealed compelling secondary benefits, with improvements in key comorbidities, including: type 2 diabetes obesity cardiovascular risk markers Most notably, people taking Wegovy lost significantly more weight than those receiving a placebo — an average of 10% of body weight compared to just 2%. Wegovy was also linked to modest improvements in cardiovascular health, including slightly lower blood pressure, triglyceride levels, and cholesterol. In addition, participants taking Wegovy — both with and without type 2 diabetes — saw improvements in hemoglobin A1C, a measure of long-term blood sugar regulation. This effect may not be surprising, as semaglutide is already FDA-approved for diabetes management under Novo Nordisk's other brand name, Ozempic. The authors note that semaglutide had a 'holistic therapeutic approach to both liver disease and associated cardiometabolic illnesses.' 'These results lend further credence that semaglutide is the 'Swiss army knife' of medicine we have been looking for, to treat obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and now MASH,' Beverly Tchang, MD, an endocrinologist and assistant professor of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, not affiliated with the trial, told Healthline.
