In Quebec, where one in four adults is obese, the current cost of these new drugs (approximately $500 per month) would involve an annual expenditure of several hundred million dollars (in the United States the situation is even worse: the cost of a 72-week course of tirzepatide (15 mg/week) is approximately US$17,000, while the 68-week treatment with semaglutide (2.4 mg/week) is nearly US$23,000!)
It highlights the necessity for a holistic view of patient care, one that balances the benefits of groundbreaking medications with the imperative to address their side effects
Semaglutide is a medication that has gained widespread use for type 2 diabetes and weight loss
In our case, optimal results were obtained with a neighbourhood size of 55 pixels and a threshold of 50 on a 0-255 scale
The trial was relatively small, included only US participants (mostly white), and didn't include people with type 2 diabetes or advanced liver scarring
Patients should store the medication in its original carton to protect it from light, which can also contribute to degradation of the active pharmaceutical ingredient