Researchers in Australia are warning that GLP-1 weight-loss drugs may increase the risk of developing scurvy, a rare disease caused by vitamin C deficiency. Historically known as a “pirate disease” because sailors often lacked fresh produce during long sea voyages, scurvy can become severe if not treated, according to a report by Fox News.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms may include anaemia, loose teeth that can fall out, bleeding beneath the skin, easy bruising, swollen legs, rough or scaly skin, and dry, brittle hair that curls, the report stated.
People with scurvy may also experience swollen, bleeding gums and wounds that reopen or fail to heal properly.
The condition can develop when the body doesn’t receive enough nutrient-dense foods, eventually resulting in malnutrition. Emerging research indicates that people using GLP-1 medications may face an elevated risk, Fox News reported.
A systematic review from Australia’s Hunter Medical Research Institute found that although diabetes and obesity drugs are linked to substantial weight loss, clinical trials have largely “failed to report what people are actually eating while taking them.”
“A reduction in body weight does not automatically mean a person is well-nourished or healthy,” said Clare Collins, laureate professor of nutrition and dietetics at The University of Newcastle, in a press release. “Nutrition plays a critical role in health, and right now it’s largely missing from the evidence.”
Collins added that the findings raise “major concerns about the risk of malnutrition, including macro- and micronutrient deficiencies,” with reports already noting adverse metabolic and nutritional effects, she told Fox News Digital.
Earlier on Wednesday, Reuters reported that among early adopters of Novo Nordisk’s new Wegovy weight-loss pill, 36% had never previously used a GLP-1 medication, according to a new study by the health data firm Truveta.
A reduction in body weight does not automatically mean a person is well-nourished or healthy.
The data also showed that 21.1% of patients who began the new pill had previously used the injectable version of Wegovy, while 15.8% switched from Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, another injectable GLP-1 treatment.
Truveta analyzed health records from 8,762 patients who had evidence of a prescription for the oral Wegovy medication, which received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration on 22 December, Reuters reported.
(With inputs from agencies)
