Ozempic Baby Boom? Weight Loss Drug’s Possible Connection To Fertility & Disease Prevention

Ozempic is the brand name of Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide, the new and highly popular drug also known under the brand names Rybelsu and Wegovy, which is an FDA-approved prescription medication for adults with type 2 diabetes. The drug, which is administered as a weekly injection, assists the body by helping the pancreas make more insulin, ultimately lowering blood sugar levels. Although it has not been FDA-approved for weight loss, the drug has been prescribed by some doctors.

RELATED: What You Need to Know About Obesity

It’s important to note that while Ozempic MAY appear to be causing more women to be getting pregnant, it’s not actually linked to fertility. What is linked to fertility is losing weight, and since having obesity or being overweight can complicate fertility due to hormonal imbalances, it makes sense that shedding some pounds can result in one’s body changes.

Obesity has also been linked to a variety of health issues like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal issues, mental health problems, cancer and reproductive health.

The Role of Diet and Exercise in Cancer Risk

As more and more women have taken to social media outlets like TikTok and Reddit to talk about their fertility success stories after being on the weight loss drug, Rebecca Shenkman, Director of the MacDonald Center for Nutrition Education and Research at Villanova University, told MDLinx in a recent interview, “Obesity can have a significant impact on fertility. Evidence shows that the risk of infertility has been shown to be threefold higher in women with obesity than in women without obesity. Overweight women and women with obesity need a longer time to conceive.

“The impact of obesity on reproductive function is highly attributable to dysregulation of hormone mechanisms such as lower production and circulation of hormones needed for optimal fertility potential.”

She added, “While there is no guarantee that weight loss can assure fertility success, weight loss is a tool that may improve fertility outcomes by way of, for example, improvement of blood sugar, improvement in hormonal balance, and reduction of insulin resistance.”

Women who have shared their fertility success stories on social media have claimed to have either been on birth control and Ozempic when they became pregnant, or taking Ozempic but infertile for years … until now.

According to Healthline, one TikTok user revealed, “Struggled with infertility for 8 years. Started Mounjaro, and 10 months later pregnant with our miracle baby,” while another wrote online, “I also got pregnant on Ozempic & was on the pill! Baby boy is due in June.”

It’s important to now that no studies have revealed Ozempic has an effect on birth control medications and some medical professionals have said Ozempic may affect how some birth control pills are absorbed, potentially leading them to be less effective.

Texas-based board certified endocrinologist Dr. Neha Lalani told Heathline, “We have seen cases of failure of oral contraception as well as boosted fertility with drugs like GLP-1 agonists,” saying birth control pills may fail due to how drugs like Ozempic ( GLP-1 agonists and GIP/GLP-1 agonists) function.

Lalani added, “This causes oral birth control pills to not be absorbed consistently, especially each time the dose of GLP-1/ GIP+ GLP-1 agonists are stepped up. This is resulting in failure of oral birth control pills.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Jamie Grifo, Program Director at NYU Langone Fertility Center, also told Healthline, “Many high BMI patients do not ovulate, some have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and many just don’t ovulate regularly.

“With the weight loss from these drugs, many women who are anovulatory start to have regular ovulation and menses, which takes them from a low fertility situation to a more normal fertile state.”

It’s wonderful to hear women celebrating their pregnancies following Ozempic usage, but its extremely important to understand the risks associated with the drug.

For example, Novo Nordisk states on it’s website that, in regard to Ozempic, “There are limited data with semaglutide use in pregnant women to inform a drug-associated risk for adverse developmental outcomes. There are clinical considerations regarding the risks of poorly controlled diabetes in pregnancy (see Clinical Considerations). Based on animal reproduction studies, there may be potential risks to the fetus from exposure to semaglutide during pregnancy.

“OZEMPIC® should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. In pregnant rats administered semaglutide during organogenesis, embryofetal mortality, structural abnormalities and alterations to growth occurred at maternal clinical exposure based on AUC. In rabbits and cynomolgus monkeys administered semaglutide during organogenesis, early pregnancy losses or structural abnormalities were observed at clinical exposure (rabbit) and ≥2-fold the MRHD (monkey).

“These findings coincided with a marked maternal body weight loss in both animal species. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2 to 4% and 15 to 20%, respectively. The estimated background risk of major birth defects is 6 to 10% in women with pre-gestational diabetes with a peri-conceptional HbA1c >7 and has been reported to be as high as 20 to 25% in women with a periconceptional HbA1c >10. The estimated background risk of miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown.”

The website adds, “Hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia occur more frequently during pregnancy in patients with pre-gestational diabetes. Poorly controlled diabetes during pregnancy increases the maternal risk for diabetic ketoacidosis, pre- eclampsia, spontaneous abortions, preterm delivery, and delivery complications. Poorly controlled diabetes increases the fetal risk for major birth defects, stillbirth, and macrosomia related morbidity.”

Additionally, Illinois-based Dr. Allison Rodgers, an OB-GYN and reproductive endocrinologist at Fertility Centers, told USA Today, “It’s true that, from a scientific perspective, these medications may make it easier for people to get pregnant.

“But people need to be careful because there could be dangerous consequences if taken while pregnant given the drugs can linger in your system.”

Dr. Terri Woodard discusses your options for preserving fertility after a cancer diagnosis.

How Does Semaglutide Work?

Integral to blood sugar control, GLP-1 is a hormone released by the gut in response to food. It causes the pancreas to release insulin. A rising blood insulin level causes all the body tissues to start absorbing glucose (blood sugar) from the bloodstream, thereby lowering blood glucose levels. GLP-1 also prevents the release of glucagon, which is a hormone that raises blood sugar levels by stimulating liver cells to release glucose and helps people feel full for longer. These effects can also cause people to lose weight.

Modern studies on GLP-1 have shown that it has a role beyond glucose control. It modulates the immune system cells, including NK cells, in a way necessary for weight loss.

Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, meaning that it mimics the effects of GLP-1 in the body. Given as weekly subcutaneous injections It is normally prescribed to manage blood glucose levels in diabetic patients. It also leads to a significant amount of weight loss in these patients.

Semaglutide Communicates With The Immune System

In a recent study, researchers studied the interaction between semaglutide and NK cell function in 20 patients with obesity. They were started on semaglutide therapy, given weekly, for 6 months. NK cells were isolated from these patients before commencing therapy and after 6 months of therapy completion. Their number and their function were measured to see if it was influenced by semaglutide.

Patients had no significant change in NK cell numbers after receiving semaglutide for 6 months. NK cell function, however, was significantly improved by the drug. The researchers detected a measured increase in cytokines after semaglutide therapy. Cytokines are small molecules released by NK cells that are essential to their function. This includes enhancing their anti-cancer activity. Additionally, 9 out of 20 patients had a significant change in their body weight during the study period.

It should be noted that this was a relatively small study of 20 patients. It nonetheless highlights an important benefit of semaglutide that should be explored in larger future studies.

Since the patients in the study lost weight, it is fair to question whether it was the weight loss or semaglutide that improved the NK cell function.

The researchers anticipated this confusion and tested whether the observed weight loss was associated with changes in NF-associated cytokine production. They found no correlation between the two, thereby demonstrating that the improved NK cell function was indeed due to the medication use. They further cemented this association by exposing extracted NK cells to GLP-1 directly, which caused them to significantly increase their cytokine production.

Semaglutide Carries Side Effects

Semaglutide is an invaluable addition to the repertoire of drugs used to fight diabetes and obesity and strengthen the immune system, as demonstrated by the study. However, like all drugs, it carries side effects that must be considered by anyone contemplating treatment with semaglutide.

Side effects include:

• Nausea.
• Vomiting.
• Stomach Pain.
• Constipation or Diarrhea.
• Low blood sugar, which can cause dizziness, confusion, sweating, and headaches.

Most of these side effects can be managed with lifestyle modifications, such as eating more slowly and avoiding greasy and fried food.

Semaglutide can, occasionally, cause serious side effects, such as:

• Inflammation of the pancreas
• Gallbladder problems
• Kidney problems
• Allergic reactions

These side effects require prompt medical attention.

Although semaglutide has been approved for blood sugar control in people with type II diabetes, under the brand name Ozempic, and for weight loss under the brand name Wegovy, it has not been approved for use as an immune booster and cancer preventative. Thus, it should not be prescribed for that purpose. Those taking it to control their diabetes or weight, however, can expect the additional benefit of improving their immunity and lowering their cancer risk.

The current semaglutide landscape may change in the future as more and more studies discover its benefits beyond controlling diabetes and aiding in weight loss.

Weight and Cancer Risk

Being overweight or obese is clearly linked to an overall increased risk of cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. And in a 2022 study out of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, researchers found that childhood obesity may lead to an early cancer diagnosis.

In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Andrea Tufano-Sugarman of NYU Langone Health talked about the importance of maintaining a healthy weight.

“While all cancers cannot be prevented, losing weight is a great way to reduce one’s risk,” she said.

Major Reduction in Cancer Risk by Following Old Standbys Diet and Exercise

Dr. Stephen Freedland of Cedars Sinai Medical Center also notes that obesity can affect a person’s prostate cancer risk and prognosis.

“Some of the best data we have is that obesity increases the risk of not just getting prostate cancer, but actually dying from prostate cancer,” Dr. Freeland previously told SurvivorNet.

“Obese men are 35 percent more likely to die from prostate cancer.”

The Link Between Obesity and Prostate Cancer

Being overweight or obese is clearly linked with an increased risk of many types of cancer including the following:

• Breast cancer (in women past menopause)
• Colon and rectal cancer
• Endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus)
• Esophagus cancer
• Gallbladder cancer
• Kidney cancer
• Liver cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Pancreas cancer
• Stomach cancer
• Thyroid cancer
• Multiple myeloma
• Meningioma (a tumor of the lining of the brain and spinal cord)

Being overweight or obese might also raise the risk of other cancers such as:

• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
• Male breast cancer
• Cancers of the mouth, throat, and voice box
• Aggressive forms of prostate cancer

It’s also important to know that conditions caused or exasperated by obesity like diabetes and heart disease can pose problems for people who’ve already been diagnosed with cancer. They can lead to treatment complications, prevent people from receiving the recommended first-line therapies and even increase the risk of undergoing surgery. Overweight patients might not even have the option of surgery since removing the cancer could pose potential complications that could outweigh the benefits.

RELATED: 16 States Now Have Adult Obesity Rates At or Above 35%. What Does This Mean for Cancer Risk and Treatment?

Dr. Sairah Ahmed, associate professor in the division of cancer medicine at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, previously said focusing on diet and exercise in a healthy way can help a person with cancer feel like they have more control.

“Diet, exercise and stress control are extremely important when going through cancer therapy, as well as once you’re done treating your cancer and trying to get back to the rest of your life,” she said.

Dr. Ahmed wants to remind people that none of the gimmicky diets are helpful for cancer-fighting. She says the main goal should be to simply consume nutritious foods.

What to Know about Diet and Exercise if You Have Cancer

“I’m asked about keto diets, alkaline diets, no-sugar diets,” she said. “Often I will tell patients there is not any one diet that has a better potential to keep their cancer away. There’s no data that shows that any of those help to treat cancer any better.

“You want to have a moderate diet where you’re including lots of fruits and vegetables, but you’re still eating fat and protein, and you want to maintain physical exercise,” she said

Dr. Ken Miller says a healthy diet and regular workout routine are important

Dr. Ken Miller, the director of outpatient oncology at the University of Maryland Greenebaum Cancer Center, recommends these four things for cancer survivors to do to try and avoid another cancer diagnosis:

• Exercise at least two hours a week, walking counts
• Eat a low-fat diet
• Eat a colorful diet with lots of fruits and vegetables, doctors recommend two to three cups a day
• Maintain a healthy weight

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

---