Study on Weight Loss Drugs Ozempic and Wegovy Show Connection to E.D.
A study by University of Texas Medical Branch analyzed a large insurance claims database (TriNetX Research) to assess the risk of developing erectile dysfunction (ED) and testosterone deficiency in non-diabetic males aged 18-50 after being prescribed the medication semaglutide for weight loss.
The researchers identified 2,117 non-diabetic males who were prescribed semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) after June 2021 when it was approved for weight loss. This group was matched to an equivalent control group not prescribed semaglutide.
The key findings were:
1. Males prescribed semaglutide had a significantly higher risk (10 times higher) of being diagnosed with ED and/or prescribed ED medications like phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors compared to controls (1.4% vs 0.14%).
2. Males on semaglutide also had over twice the risk of being diagnosed with testosterone deficiency compared to controls (3.83% vs 1.7%).
While the overall rate of ED was relatively low at 1.4% in the semaglutide group, it was surprisingly higher than expected given weight loss could potentially improve erectile function.
The authors conclude that despite its popularity for weight loss, clinicians and patients should be aware of the potential hormonal effects and impact on the male hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis when considering semaglutide treatment in non-diabetic men.
Further studies are recommended to better understand how semaglutide influences male sexual function and testosterone levels when used for weight loss in non-diabetic populations.
