Over the last few years, the use and awareness of semaglutides like Ozempic have increased dramatically. It’s well known how they help people lose weight and treat type 2 diabetes, but pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Andrea Haqq wants to understand their impact on people’s energy expenditure.
Typically, when someone loses weight, their energy expenditure, how much energy is burned by the body, goes down, which makes it harder to maintain the weight loss. But is that the case with semaglutides? Dr. Haqq wants to find out so she can provide more tailored treatment to her patients.
“The hope for this translational clinical research is that it will allow us to develop more personalized treatments for our patients to help them not only achieve weight loss but also sustain it and prevent future weight gain. This is especially important for those patients who do not respond well to lifestyle treatments like nutrition and exercise,” says Dr. Haqq.
The research study will follow 20 adult patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes who are given a high weekly dose of semaglutide for six months. Then, Dr. Haqq and her colleagues will evaluate how their bodies expend energy in different settings to understand the impact of the semaglutide on their overall energy expenditure.
Fortunately, Edmonton is home to one of only two whole body calorimetry units in Canada. The unit, which looks like a small studio apartment with a treadmill, is a sophisticated research suite where a complete evaluation of an individual’s energy balance (energy intake and energy expenditure) can be determined by measuring oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production. This is the gold standard method for measuring energy metabolism and since participants can sleep, eat and exercise in a free-living way in the unit, ‘normal living conditions’ are simulated as closely as possible.
In addition to the whole body calorimetry unit, Dr. Haqq will explore other factors like body composition (e.g., muscle and fat) and blood exams, and whether semaglutides can prevent the body from slowing down its energy use after losing weight.
“The Kaye Competition funding for this project is extremely important. There is a lot of competition for research dollars, and getting the funding needed can be difficult. With this research money, we can put together a world-class team to work on this project and take advantage of the unique infrastructure in place in Edmonton.”