Skip to main content

Diane Brzezinski, D.O. FACOI

Call for an appointment | 239.261.9990

Dr. B's Blog

semaglutide peptide therapy

Naples Physician Helps Keep Patients’ Type 2 Diabetes in Check with Peptide Therapy

With an emphasis on the holistic medicine approach of treating the patient’s overall health rather than a specific condition, Dr. Diane Brzezinski became an early proponent of the therapeutic use of peptides. Dr. B monitors advances in peptide research and adopts the use of new peptide supplements for her Naples, Florida-area patients as warranted by clinical research and subsequent FDA approval.

Dr. B’s peptide therapy has proven instrumental in treating specific conditions and improving overall health. Among peptide therapies offered at her practice, Semaglutide has proven highly effective at helping control type 2 diabetes—a serious condition that may affect more than 10% of Florida’s population— and assisting people in reducing weight. The combined benefits provide a tremendous boost for improving the overall health of Dr. B’s patients.

Understanding Peptide Therapy

Similar in composition to proteins, peptides are a natural ingredient in plants, meat, and fish. When consumed, our bodies absorb and distribute peptides through our bloodstream to help maintain cellular function and control autoimmune responses. In recent years, researchers have identified thousands of different peptide types as differentiated by their unique sequence of amino acids. This sequencing also seems to determine what specific effects a peptide might have on the health of our bodies. Peptides which are clearly shown to have health benefits are called bioactive peptides. These are then turned into therapeutic supplements after sufficient research results in FDA approval.

Doctors use peptides to help treat numerous different health issues. Depending upon the type, they deliver into the body orally, topically, or by injection. Specific conditions and health promotion currently targeted by peptide therapy include:

  • Enhancement of immune system response to the common cold, infections, allergies, and viruses
  • Wound healing and post-operative wound healing
  • Enhanced sexual interest and performance
  • Improved skin tone and collagen formation
  • Autoimmune disease control
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Gastrointestinal issues
  • Neurological issues
  • Age-related bone loss
  • Blood clot prevention
  • Decrease blood pressure
  • Soft-tissue injuries
  • Weight management
  • Joint pain
  • Hair restoration

What’s the Buzz on Semaglutide?

The FDA first approved semaglutide in an injectable formulation for the control of type 2 diabetes in 2017. The FDA approved an oral formulation in 2019 and then expanded approval of the peptide’s injection formulation in 2021 to include weight management for those suffering from at least one weight-related condition, such as type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol.

Semaglutide helps control type 2 diabetes by naturally stimulating the pancreas’s synthesis and secretion of insulin while at the same time inhibiting its production of glucagon. This hormone increases blood sugar levels. The combined effect reduces hyperglycemia, a primary (and potentially dangerous) symptom of type 2 diabetes.

Because clinical trials of semaglutide resulted in a noticeable decrease in weight in many of the trial’s patients, further clinical trials were conducted to assess its efficacy and safety as a weight loss medication. In the largest such trial, patients lost between 15% to 20% of their body weight in about 14 months, compared to those in the placebo-taking control group who only lost about 2.4%.

The injectable form of Semaglutide can be prescribed for chronic weight management for those diagnosed as clinically obese (body mass index of 30 or greater) and those categorized as overweight, as long as they have at least one weight-related health condition.

Consult with Dr. B to Address Your Type 2 Diabetes or Weight Management

If you have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, consult with Dr. B to learn how you can help get this disease under control with semaglutide. Dr. B is also happy to consult with patients on the peptide’s use for weight management. She’ll discuss other peptide therapies that might help control other conditions or improve overall health. To learn more, contact Dr. B’s Naples-based Internal Medicine practice today through our easy online form, or by calling (239) 261-9990.