Semaglutide weight loss Moore County, NC - Vivo Health

Signs and Symptoms of Hormone Deficiency

Some key signs and symptoms that may indicate a hormone deficiency include:

• Fatigue - Feeling constantly tired despite getting adequate rest
• Weight gain - Unexplained weight gain, particularly around the abdomen
• Low libido - Lack of interest in sexual activity
• Hair loss - Thinning hair or balding patches
• Muscle loss - Loss of lean muscle mass and tone
• Mood changes - Increased irritability, anxiety, or depression

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, it may be wise to have your hormone levels tested by a medical professional. Timely diagnosis and treatment can help resolve deficiency issues before they significantly impact your health and quality of life.

Overview and Benefits of Semaglutide for Weight Loss

Semaglutide is an exciting, innovative medication that shows great promise for promoting weight loss and controlling diabetes. Here is a quick overview of how it works and its key benefits:

• Mechanism: Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, meaning it mimics the effects of GLP-1, a hormone that helps control blood sugar and appetite
• Administration: Taken once-weekly as a subcutaneous injection with a prefilled pen
• Weight loss: Average loss around 15% body weight over 68 weeks in studies
• A1c lowering: Lowers blood sugar levels, with average 1.5-1.8% A1c reductions
• Cardioprotective: Improves major cardiovascular risk markers
• Convenience: Only need to administer once per week

With proper adherence to medication and lifestyle changes, semaglutide can be a game-changer for weight management.

Therapy Basics: Starting Semaglutide Treatment

The usual protocol when starting semaglutide treatment is as follows:

Initial dose: Begin with 0.25 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly Titration: Increase dose gradually every 4 weeks up to maximum 1-2 mg/week Timing: Take dose any time of day, with or without food Devices: Administer with prefilled disposable pen injectors

It is crucial to closely monitor side effects and have regular follow-ups with your hormonal health specialist during treatment. This allows for proper dosage adjustments if needed.

Education on what to expect with semaglutide, lifestyle modification recommendations, and support through the process are keys to long-term success.

Lifestyle Adjustments for Optimal Results

While semaglutide will effectively stimulate weight loss for most patients, making certain lifestyle changes can enhance and sustain results long-term:

Nutrition:

• Emphasize high protein, high fiber, complex carbs
• Limit processed foods, sugars, refined carbs
• Small frequent meals
• Stay hydrated

Physical activity:

• Start slowly, consult your provider
• Focus on cardio and strength training
• Aim for 150-300 min/week activity
• Incorporate movement daily

Wellness:

• Prioritize sleep, stress management
• Practice mindfulness, gratitude
• Join community support groups
• Set SMART goals, track progress

Adjusting nutrition, activity levels, and personal wellness habits while on semaglutide therapy can promote further weight loss and maintenance after stopping medication. Consistency and accountability are key!

Your Partner in Hormone Health

At Vivo Health, we understand the frustrations of coping with hormone deficiencies and related health conditions like obesity. That is why our clinic strives to provide cutting edge, highly individualized treatment plans to help patients restore balance, vigor and reach their goals.

What sets Vivo Health apart is our:

• Use of advanced diagnostic testing like dried blood spot panels
• Access to the latest and most innovative hormone therapies
• Integrative approach combining bioidentical hormones, nutrients tailored plans
• Compassionate support throughout the treatment process

We partner with each patient uniquely on their health transformation journey.

Further Key Facts and Research on Semaglutide

Effectiveness Overview

• In a 2021 study, weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg resulted in fat loss of 17.4% on average after 20 weeks.
• It showed superiority over other weight loss medications like Liraglutide for >15% weight reduction.
• Over 90% of subjects administered semaglutide achieved over 5% weight loss.

Weight Loss Comparison by Medication

Medication	Avg % Weight Lost
Semaglutide 2.4 mg	17.4%
Liraglutide 3.0 mg	13%
Phentermine Topiramate ER	12.4%
Naltrexone Bupropion ER	11%

(Over 20-56 weeks across multiple studies)

Key Weight Loss-Promoting Actions

• Suppresses appetite by increasing feelings of fullness and food satisfaction
• Slows stomach emptying so less food is eaten at meals
• Benefits sustained for over 2 years due to GLP-1 receptor impacts
• Also lowers blood sugar, blood pressure, inflammation markers

By leveraging these multi-pronged mechanisms, semaglutide promotes substantial, rapid weight loss superior to most other single medications.

Debunking Myths About Semaglutide Treatment

There are some common myths about semaglutide therapy for weight management that we often hear. Let's explore and debunk some of these prevailing misconceptions:

Myth: Semaglutide is just another fad weight loss drug that may work short term but won't lead to lasting change.

Fact: Clinical trials have shown semaglutide to be highly effective for up to 2 years, leading to significant improvements in weight, cardiovascular markers, A1c, blood pressure and more.

Myth: The gastro side effects like nausea and vomiting make compliance exceedingly difficult.

Fact: While GI issues are common early on, they are usually mild to moderate and subside within 4-8 weeks for most. Slow titration of dosing mitigates adverse effects.

Myth: It's an easy way out that allows maintaining unhealthy lifestyles.

Fact: Lifestyle modifications in eating habits, activity levels, self-care and more still play a huge role for enhancing and sustaining success long-term.

Tips for Properly Diagnosing and Monitoring Hormones

Diagnosing and monitoring possible hormone deficiencies requires comprehensive lab testing analysis and interpretation by a trained professional. Here are tips for patients on getting quality assessments:

• Find an experienced hormone specialist like our doctors at Vivo Health
• Complete symptom checks are invaluable for evaluation
• Opt for expanded panels - Total and Free Testosterone, Estradiol, DHEA-S, Cortisol, T3 etc.
• Capture circadian patterns with serial morning afternoon samples
• Repeat testing every 3-6 months to monitor treatment efficacy

Having properly diagnosed and serially monitored hormone levels is crucial for determining optimal, individualized treatment to resolve deficiencies and related symptoms.

An Integrative Approach Combining Semaglutide with Other Hormone Therapies

While very effective on its own, semaglutide can be powerfully combined with other hormones like testosterone at our Vivo Health for additional benefits:

• Low testosterone worsens insulin resistance and abdominal obesity
• Raising testosterone increases weight loss, enhances body composition changes
• May allow lower doses of semaglutide needed for efficacy

Our integrative protocols also incorporate key hormones like:

• Thyroid to increase patient's metabolic rate
• Glucocorticoids to reduce inflammation inhibiting weight loss
• Human Growth Hormone to specifically promote reduction of belly fat

This more holistic approach that addresses all hormonal signals facilitating weight loss and metabolic health aligns with Vivo Health' treatment philosophy.

Interesting Research Connections Between Hormones and Weight Loss Outcomes

Emerging research is revealing some fascinating associations between patients' hormone levels and their weight loss outcomes with semaglutide treatment. For example:

High Testosterone Levels

A 2022 study found subjects that had higher pre-treatment testosterone lost an average of 5.1% more weight on semaglutide at 20 weeks than those with low testosterone. This suggests testosterone plays a significant synergistic role.

Low Thyroid Function

Subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism (high TSH but normal T3/T4) had blunted weight loss responses to semaglutide. Optimizing thyroid function enhanced weight loss efficacy comparable to euthyroid patients.

These findings further reinforce the importance of comprehensive hormone evaluations and integrated, multi-modal therapies.

Men's Health: The Impact of Low Testosterone Levels on Wellbeing

It is vital to be aware of how declining testosterone intersects with men's mental health, sexuality, relationships and aging. Consider these profound impacts of "Low-T":

• Exacerbates risk for anxiety and depression
• Manifests in irritability, reduced motivation and focus
• Impedes strength adaptations to exercise
• Accelerates loss of bone mineral density
• Impairs libido, erectile function and fertility

Thankfully treatment such as that provided by Vivo Health can effectively alleviate symptoms and restore one's masculine vitality. With renewed energy, sex drive and presence of mind, men are empowered to thrive in all facets of life.

Anti-Aging Effects: Semaglutide and the Promises of Longevity Medicine

Progress in understanding aging biology has led to promising mitochondrial peptides and senolytic drugs that may slow aging. Alongside these futuristic interventions, addressing hormone deficiencies with agents like semaglutide can optimise cellular metabolism, body composition and biomarkers of longevity in the present day.

Some hypothesised mechanisms by which semaglutide promotes anti-aging include:

• Improves insulin sensitivity → reduces glycation processes
• Lowers inflammatory, oxidant stress → protects tissues
• Increases adiponectin → enhances cell repair activity
• Alleviates excess ectopic liver fat deposition → supports mitochondrial function

Harnessing cutting edge tools like epigenetic risk scores allows Vivo Health to predict and proactively reduce patients' "biological age" decades before disease onset.

Conclusion

Semaglutide is a highly promising medication for promoting substantial and sustained weight loss, with additional benefits for diabetes control, cardiovascular health, and potentially anti-aging effects. However, it is most effective when combined with lifestyle modifications and an integrative approach addressing overall hormone balance. At Vivo Health, we specialize in providing personalized, comprehensive hormone optimization therapies to help patients overcome deficiencies, reach their goals, and live their best lives. Contact us today to learn more about how semaglutide and our other cutting-edge treatments can transform your health and vitality.