NBC News: Medicare covers Wegovy to reduce heart disease risk

Medicare will offer Wegobee coverage to patients at high risk for heart attack, stroke and other serious cardiovascular disease, an agency spokesperson announced Thursday. Experts say the decision could give millions of patients access to a popular but expensive weight-loss drug. Medicare, which currently provides health insurance to more than 65 million people in the United States, has been prohibited from paying for weight loss drugs for years. (Loveless Junior, 3/21)

CBS News: Doctors warn teens and young adults who use drugs like Ozempic to lose weight

Experts are concerned that teens and young adults are seeking weight loss drugs for the wrong reasons. … Doctors say these drugs are the first or best option for losing weight, especially if you just want to lose 5 or 10 pounds or tighten a specific area, such as the abdomen. It states that it should not be considered as such. If used improperly, these drugs can cause unwanted side effects and make you look older. (Marshall, 3/21)

USA Today: Lawsuit: Ozempic, other weight loss and diabetes drugs are harmful

Poulsen-Bronston tried various medications to manage her diabetes, but nothing worked until her doctor suggested a new medication. In 2018, a doctor advised Bronston, who lives on the Navajo Nation, to take Ozempic to lower his blood sugar levels. His doctor said the benefits outweighed the risks of side effects. … “It started to really hurt. His eyes started to turn yellow and things like that,” Bronston said. “The next thing I knew, I was in the hospital to have my gallbladder removed.” (All-Tucker, 3/21)

Also –

Healthline: Oprah’s Weight Loss Pills Feature: 5 Key Takeaways

Experts who treat people with obesity say Oprah Winfrey’s efforts to reduce shame and stigma around obesity are important. “When a celebrity talks about weight loss drugs, or even weight loss in general, it definitely increases people’s attention and interest in the options available for weight loss,” says Mil, bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical. Dr Ali says: weight loss center. (Mayer, 3/21)

Medscape: Can ingestible vibrating capsules combat obesity?

Developing a more affordable obesity treatment, researchers say a new vibrating capsule that signals satiety after meals reduced both food and energy intake and suppressed weight gain in animal studies. The capsule, called a Vibrating Ingestible Bioelectronic Stimulator (VIBES), is about the size of a large adult multivitamin pill and is meant to be swallowed before a meal. VIBES capsules work by stimulating gastric stretch receptors that send signals to the brain through the vagus nerve and stimulate feelings of satiety. (Davenport, 3/19)