- With Mayo Clinic endocrinologist
Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
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Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Dr. Maria Collazo-Clavell is board certified in internal medicine, endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism. She is a consultant in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism & Nutrition at Mayo Clinic and an assistant professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
The Aibonito, Puerto Rico, native has been with Mayo Clinic since 1994.
She is a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American College of Endocrinology, the American Diabetes Association and The Endocrine Society.
Dr. Collazo-Clavell is medical editor for the Web site's diabetes content and the book "Mayo Clinic on Managing Diabetes." Her clinical interests include management of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, obesity and nutritional disorders.
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Question
Byetta: Can diabetes drug also help me lose weight?
Tell me about the diabetes drug Byetta. Can it really help people who have diabetes lose weight? Is it only available to people who have diabetes?
Answer
from Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D.
Although taken by injection, exenatide (Byetta) is not insulin. Byetta improves blood sugar control by mimicking the action of the hormone incretin. Among other things, Byetta allows insulin to work more effectively in the body.
In studies, Byetta not only improved blood sugar control but also led to weight loss. It's unclear exactly how Byetta causes weight loss, but one effect of the drug is that it delays the movement of food from the stomach into the small intestine. As a result, people taking Byetta may feel "full" faster and longer, so they eat less. The most common side effect of Byetta is mild to moderate nausea, which improves with time in most people. Rarely, Byetta may cause harmful inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).
Byetta is designed for people who have diabetes and has not been studied as a weight-loss aid in people who have normal blood sugar. If you have diabetes and wonder if Byetta may be helpful, talk to your doctor.
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