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Howard G. Smith, M.D. is a former radio medical editor and talk show host in the Boston Metro area. His "Medical Minute" of health and wellness news and commentary was a regular weekday feature on WBZ-AM, WRKO-AM, and WMRE-AM. His popular two-way talk show, Dr. Howard Smith OnCall, was regularly heard Sunday morning and middays on WBZ.

Dr. Smith has adopted audio and video podcasting as conduits for HEALTH NEWS YOU SHOULD USE. Based on the latest medical, health, and wellness literature these reports provide practical information you can use to keep yourself and your family healthy. Many reports have video versions, and Dr. Smith’s YouTube Channel may be found at: http://bit.ly/2rNw6XQ

Trained at Harvard Medical School and a long-time faculty member at Boston Children’s Hospital, he practiced Pediatric Otolaryngology for 40 years in Boston, Southern California, and in central Connecticut.  He is now based in New York City.

If you have questions or suggestions about this content, please email the doctor at drhowardsmith.reports@gmail.com or leave him a message at 516-778-8864.  His website is: www.drhowardsmith.com.

Please note that the news, views, commentary, and opinions that Dr. Smith provides are for informational purposes only. Any changes that you or members of your family contemplate making to lifestyle, diet, medications, or medical therapy should always be discussed beforehand with personal physicians who have been supervising your care.

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  2. MEDICAL MAILBAG: Farxiga For Weight Loss?

MEDICAL MAILBAG: Farxiga For Weight Loss?

Apr 19, 2019

Vidcast: https://youtu.be/K3jUwpv4zXE

A viewer on YouTube asks the following question:

I am not type two diabetic but my doctor has given me farxiga for weight loss cause I am 225 lbs and 5' 2 with a bmi of 39.9. Would you consider this drug safe for just weight loss?

I responded to her with the following:

Farxiga is not FDA-approved for any use in non-diabetics.  There are no published experimental studies on its use for weight loss in non-diabetics.  

The only available data on Farxiga and weight loss was in diabetics.  This drug and its sister medication Invokana, both sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors, cause blood sugar to spill out through the kidneys and trigger weight loss.

A study reported in 2014 showed that, when Farxiga 10 mg was taken daily for 6 months, there was an average weight loss of only 1 kg or 2.2 pounds over that entire 6 months.  Not impressive!  A more recent study combined the Farxiga with insulin but in type 1 diabetics and clocked only a 3.8% weight drop.

Weigh that meager weight loss against some of Farxiiga’s side effects.  It’s blood glucose lowering can trigger ketoacidosis, the toxic breakdown of body fat stores that can be deadly.  Drug use has also been associated with kidney failure.  Also consider that Farxiga drug can trigger urinary tract infections and genital fungal infections.

The bottom line: the drug is no way to effectively lose weight and it has some fierce downside risks.  As always, the best formula for lasting weight loss is eating healthy foods in moderate amounts and exercising regularly.

http://www.rxeconsult.com/healthcare-articles/Invokana-and-Farxiga-for-Weight-Loss-Management-516/

 https://www.druglawcenter.org/amp/farxiga/

If you have a health question#you can direct it to me as a comment on YouTube, a Tweet to me, or as an email to drhowardsmith.reports@gmail.com.

#Dieting #Farxiga #ketoacidosis #kdneydisease