Victoza (Liraglutide) is gaining popularity for its twin effects in type 2 diabetes control and weight loss. If you are a diabetes patient struggling with your body weight management, a Liraglutide injection may help you. Victoza’s weight loss effects happen when combined with a healthy diet and enough physical exercise.
The purpose of Victoza medication is not used to treat obesity issues. It is specifically designed for lowering and balancing blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes.
If you use Liraglutide for chronic weight management without thinking, it can cause serious side effects that can be fatal.
Victoza Overview
According to WebMD, “Liraglutide (Victoza) is a drug that helps your body release more insulin. This helps move glucose from your bloodstream into your cells.”
Victoza (Liraglutide) is a GLP-1 analog for treating type 2 diabetes. “Victoza” is a brand name owned by Novo Nordisk, a pharmaceutical company headquartered in Bagsvrd, Denmark.
It is a non-insulin injectable medication for adults with type 2 diabetes. It is taken once a day and delivered with the Victoza pen.
In 2010, it was approved to be sold as a prescription medicine for diabetes. It is an extended-release formulation, and its effects remain for 24 hours. Therefore, it is taken as an injection once per day.
This drug has a proven effect on improving blood glucose. Many users of this drug have also reported a substantial reduction in body weight.
Victoza should help the body make more insulin and keep sugar from being released.
How does Victoza (Liraglutide) work?
The effects of Liraglutide/Victoza linger for approximately 24 hours. It helps to lower both fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels.
It is primarily used for managing high blood sugar levels.
Victoza works by stimulating the production and release of insulin by the pancreas. It helps suppress the secretion of glucagon in a glucose-dependent manner.
Liraglutide can slow stomach emptying and reduce glucose absorption by the gut. It works as an appetite suppressant and thereby reduces the intake of foods, especially calorie-rich foods.
According to the makers of Victoza, it works in three ways to lower the blood sugar level:
- Slows food from leaving your stomach,
- Helps prevent your liver from making too much sugar,
- Reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events,
- Induces the pancreas to produce more insulin when you have high blood sugar levels.
Is Victoza insulin?
Per the official information shared by the manufacturer, Victoza is an injectable medicine to lower blood sugar levels. Victoza is not insulin or a substitute for insulin.
This medication for Type 2 diabetes is to be used along with healthy diets and enough physical exercise.
A pure insulin injection is used when the pancreas does not make insulin or produces insufficient insulin.
Victoza boosts the insulin production capacity of the pancreas.
It is different from insulin, for it reduces the release of sugar into the bloodstream by the liver. Unlike insulin injection, it is useful for suppressing appetite and reducing absorption.
Is Victoza insulin? No, it does not perform any functions of insulin and is not a substitute for insulin. That is why Victoza is not useful for type 1 diabetes.
Victoza for weight loss
Does Victoza help with weight loss? Yes, it does.
However, the weight loss results from Liraglutide depend on the drug’s dose and regularity.
According to some of the latest research literature, when Liraglutide is taken in higher doses, it helps to shed pounds.
Saxenda is a weight-loss drug containing a 3 mg higher dose of Liraglutide than Victoza (0.6 to 1.8 mg).
Even those taking Victoza (0.6 mg) also lose weight, but a few pounds less than those taking Liraglutide (3 mg) in higher doses.
According to Dr. Robert Kushner, MD, professor of medicine and endocrinology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, “for patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity, use of liraglutide 3.0 mg is a unique medication that can address both chronic medical conditions.”
Studies suggest that, on average, those who took Liraglutide 3.0 mg for a year lost up to 14 pounds. The study members who took Victoza lost 11 pounds on average compared to those on placebo, who dropped only four pounds.
Treatment with liraglutide in combination with metformin and with proper diet and exercise has been shown to produce higher levels of reduction in weight.
Victoza users may be able to lose several pounds in a few months by combining this medication with other healthy weight-loss methods.
However, using liraglutide for weight loss is not recommended.
How does Victoza help with weight loss?
High-calorie diets are the most important reason for weight gain in most people. Lack of physical exercise and poor diet habits increase the chances of becoming obese.
Victoza works for weight loss for more than one reason. Here are the reasons why the use of Liraglutide leads to weight loss.
Blood sugar balance
The effects of Liraglutide injection help to control your blood sugar levels. When a person has a balanced sugar level in the bloodstream, their body has a lower requirement for insulin. Less insulin production induces the body to burn more fat to meet its energy requirements.
If the sugar balance in the bloodstream is right, it diminishes the craving for foods, especially sweetened foods.
While managing sugar levels, also it seems to help the reduction of cardiovascular events,
Suppresses Appetite
Liraglutide produces a special effect in reducing appetite in a way different from most other weight loss supplements.
It works like a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) hormone, which regulates appetite. It does so by activating those cells in the brain that regulate appetite.
People who take Victoza injections feel less hungry, leading to a lower calorie intake.
Reduces leptin resistance
Leptin, one of the most important hormones, makes you feel hungry or satiated with food intake.
Leptin resistance is said to be one of the major reasons for obesity and diseases related to obesity.
GLP-1 agonists help lower leptin resistance, which is beneficial for weight loss.
According to recent studies, Liraglutide does two important things related to leptin and leptin resistance.
It reduces existing leptin resistance and attenuates the rise in leptin resistance once you start losing weight.
Enhances insulin sensitivity
Insulin resistance is the cause of Type II diabetes mellitus. A lack of insulin or excess insulin production is equally bad for the body.
Insulin resistance results from the blockage of the action of an enzyme called hormone-sensitive lipase. This hormone is responsible for inducing body fat-burning activities, but excess insulin destabilizes the functions of this enzyme.
Liraglutide may help the body respond to insulin levels and lower blood glucose levels.
Suppresses glucagon
Glucagon helps increase blood sugar levels, while insulin helps lower them.
To burn stored fat, your body must naturally deplete liver glycogen stores. A balanced amount of insulin helps promote the fat-burning activities of enzyme-sensitive lipase.
High glucagon levels in the liver reduce the burning of stored fats for producing energy.
Liraglutide is a GLP-1 agonist that helps reduce glucagon levels and insulin resistance.
Victoza dosage
Studies suggest that taking Liraglutide injections in higher doses (up to a maximum of 3 mg) helps lose more weight.
The Victoza and Saxenda dose for weight loss and diabetes management should preferably start at 0.6 mg daily.
The maximum dose of Victoza permissible for use is fixed at 1.8 mg daily.
An overdose of Victoza can result in unwanted side effects that may destabilize your health.
It would be best if you always started Victoza at a lower dose and slowly increased it for a few months.
Victoza only works for weight loss when paired with other therapies like dietary changes, regular exercise regimens, and supplements.
Some people lose weight at a higher level even with the lowest dosage of Victoza.
You can continue with a 0.6 mg dose of Victoza for two weeks and then monitor the progress of your diabetes condition and reduction in body weight. If you do not see any substantial changes, you can increase the dosage to 1.2 mg.
Finally, according to the treatment outcome, you can increase the Victoza to a 1.8 mg dose. However, most users only require a 1.2 mg dose per day. Some recommend a 2.4 mg dose to be used for weight loss.
Victoza should be injected subcutaneously once daily, at any time, into the upper arm, abdomen, or thigh. The injection site and timing can be changed without dose adjustment.
Warning: You should not alter the dose of Victoza without your doctor’s recommendation.
Victoza side effects
Using Victoza may not cause any severe side effects in most users. Some of the possible side effects of Victoza include:
- vomiting,
- upset stomach,
- indigestion,
- constipation,
- cold symptoms
- back pain,
- tired feeling,
- headache,
- dizziness,
- nausea,
- loss of appetite,
- diarrhea,
- skin rash,
- upper respiratory tract infection, or
- redness or rash where the medicine was injected.
You must consult your doctor if you notice these symptoms or side effects after using Victoza.
How to maximize the weight loss results?
Diabetes patients using Victoza can get the double advantage of diabetes management and weight loss.
However, only a few Victoza users experience substantial weight loss from this diabetes drug. The efficacy of liraglutide for weight management is lower than Saxenda.
But all can achieve good weight loss results by combining this medication with other natural practices. Here are a few steps worth adopting for achieving the best Victoza weight loss results:
- Combine Victoza with a healthy diet containing lean protein and fewer calories.
- Consume 2 cups (350 grams) of fruits and vegetables per day.
- Eat foods that contain healthy starches, like whole grains, and those with a low glycemic index score.
- Avoid foods and drinks that contain too much sugar.
- Avoid all types of processed foods.
- Do active physical exercise for 45 minutes daily; start with moderate exercise for two weeks.
- Incorporate strength training into your exercise
- You may use natural supplements, foods, or drinks that help burn fat.
- Sleep for seven hours every night.
- Adopt lifestyle habits suitable for weight loss.
Conclusion
Victoza, a pen or injection, is a suitable medication for managing diabetes and obesity simultaneously.
Victoza works like the hormone GLP-1. It slows the passage of food through your digestive tract. This medicine prevents the liver from making too much sugar and helps the pancreas produce more insulin when blood sugar levels are high.
Victoza may help you lose weight but the results vary from person to person. It can produce substantial weight loss results with a suitable diet and exercise.
Officially, Victoza isn’t approved for weight loss.
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