High demand for weight-loss drugs leaves local woman concerned over heart health

New England Journal of Medicine says Wegovy reduces risk of serious heart problems by 20%

Many people may be considering using Ozempic, Wegovy or another popular drug to shed some pounds, but one local woman says all that demand could be putting her heart health at risk.

Rebecca Krawczyk, 64, tries to stay active after suffering a heart attack while at work in 2021.

“Every time I’d go to the cardiologist, on my paperwork it would say ‘Obese, obese,’ so based on that I’m like, ‘You know, I’m overweight, but I don’t really feel like I’m obese.’ So, what can I do? I’m on low carbs. I don’t eat sugar. I’m very conscientious,” Krawczyk said.

The solution, she says, would come in the form of an injectable drug called Wegovy. Krawczyk got her prescription for the lowest dose possible from her heart doctor in June of 2023.

“So I was on it for one month and I actually saw success. I was able to lose some weight and I was feeling really great,” Krawczyk said. “I went to refill the prescription, nobody had it.”

Her heart sank. Krawczyk says the pharmacy told her to call back in a few days.

“I checked Walgreens, Publix, Amazon, all the other places that have pharmacies, and nobody had it, and they got to the point where they were pretty much laughing at me when I would call them and ask them about it because it’s like, nowhere to be found,” Krawczyk said.

Months later, still no luck, and Krawczyk says the weight loss results she had achieved were fading fast.

“I checked with my pharmacist just a few weeks ago and he says it’s probably going to be April before they see it again,” Krawczyk said.

“Those injectable drugs are very popular because you’re able to speed up your weight loss in a way that depends on which drug you take, you can have results that can mimic a short term of operation,” said Dr. Andre Teixeira, director of the Weight Loss Center at Orlando Regional Medical Center.

Dr. Teixeira knows firsthand the struggle some people are having finding the medication.

“I take those medications because I have metabolic disease and it’s very hard for me to find those medications. So yeah, it affects my disease right now,” Teixeira said.

In fact, the maker of Wegovy, Novo Nordisk, has an entire page on its website dedicated to the drug shortage and what it’s doing to keep up with all the demand.

Novo Nordisk says the shortage is due to the high demand, writing, “We anticipate ongoing supply disruptions in the U.S. into 2024, resulting in some patients having difficulty filling their prescriptions. However, we are running our manufacturing lines 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

For some people, the shortage could be devastating. According to a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Wegovy reduced the risk of serious heart problems by 20%. The research is the first to document not only that Wegovy can help you shed pounds, but also safely prevent a heart attack, stroke or a heart-related death for people with heart disease.

While Wegovy may help with some medical conditions, Dr. Teixeira cautions that some side effects are also seen with weight-loss drugs, including gallbladder disease, pancreatitis, severe reflux or heartburn and severe constipation, among other things. He encourages patients to speak with their health care providers about a variety of solutions, including diet and exercise.