Liraglutide Injection: A New Treatment Option for Overweight

Are you facing this problem? The more you try to lose weight, the more you gain it. It’s because you lose your weight in the wrong way such as skipping dinner, consuming only vegetable and fruits, or eating only a meal per day. These makes you crave for more food, and it will decrease the efficiency of your metabolism, then your body will be adapted to the hibernation which means that your metabolism will decrease in order to keep more of your fat, that is the reason why you gain more weight.

Dr. Boonlert Imraporn, MD., a gastroenterology and hepatology specialist of Vejthani Hospital explained that being overweight does not only affect the personality and self-confidence but also increases the risk of several diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer, etc. Currently, there are several safe and effective medical treatments for people who want to lose weight, such as medication, injection, gastric balloon insertion, and gastric bypass surgery. These mentioned treatments need to be performed under the care of the specialist.

The non-surgical treatments that become more popular are Gastric balloon insertion and Liraglutide injection which was approved for medical use by the Food and Drug Administration (Thailand) and Foods and Drugs Administration (USA). A tube of Liraglutide injection contains active Liraglutide; it is 97% hormone-like substance which is Glucagon-like peptide -1 (GLP-1 receptor agonist). Glucagon-like peptide -1 is a hormone in the digestive system that has an ability to reduce the blood sugar, that is why people who received Liraglutide feel full for hours and it also can reduce the sugar production in the liver, increase the insulin sensitivity in the pancreas and muscle, as well as reduce the stomach movement in order to keep the food in the stomach longer.

Liraglutide injection can be injected at home by yourself before or after a meal once daily. However, the quantity of the Liraglutide that you need to receive per day needs to be instructed by the specialist. According to studies, people who received Liraglutide injection (3.0ml./Day) for 12 weeks or 3 months can lose at least 5% of their weight. Liraglutide injection is recommended to use for people who are overweight (over BMI standard), people who like eating snacks, desserts, and oily foods, as well as people who are at risk of diabetes.

 “If you are interested in Liraglutide injection, you should consult with the specialist in order to undergo the health checkup and history taking by the specialist before starting the treatment session. For the patient’s safety and health, the specialist will keep follow-up and evaluate the symptoms of the patient closely” said, Boonlert Imraporn, MD.

Besides the Liraglutide injection, there is another non-surgical treatment for people who want to lose weight. It’s called Gastric balloon insertion which is a safe and effective method. With gastric balloon insertion, it can reduce 24 Kg. of the weight within 1 year (the result depends on each patient’s health condition and eating behavior). For better result, the specialist recommends using Liraglutide injection along with Gastric balloon insertion.