Health IQ: Ozempic’s venomous origins, sunscreen safety

Ozempic, a lizard and a Canadian scientist

The drug Ozempic has gained significant popularity over the past year, especially among celebrities, for its effectiveness in managing diabetes and aiding in weight loss.

But behind the hype of the drug lies an interesting origin story with Canadian roots and a previously unexpected connection to a venomous lizard, the Gila monster.

In 1984, Dr. Daniel Drucker from the University of Toronto discovered GLP-1, a hormone in the human gut that regulates blood sugar levels and suppresses appetite.

This discovery laid the foundation for popular diabetes drugs like Ozempic. But developing GLP-1 into a drug posed challenges due to its rapid breakdown in the body.

That’s when the Gila monster, the largest lizard in North America, came into the picture.

Read more about Drucker’s experiments and contribution to Ozempic.

With the arrival of summer in Canada, it is important to understand the facts about sunscreen in order to reduce the risk of skin damage, including melanoma, eye, and lip cancer, caused by both UVA and UVB rays.

A dermatologist who spoke to Global News said there are two important factors to consider when choosing a sunscreen — ensuring it is labeled as broad-spectrum and has a minimum of SPF 30.

“We recommend an SPF of at least 30. Higher is better if somebody can use that higher SPF,” explained Dr. Sunil Kalia, associate professor at the Department of Dermatology and Skin Science at the University of British Columbia.

“That essentially tells individuals how much that protects them from preventing burns on their skin. So that’s very important” he said.

Most sunscreens in Canada are labeled as broad-spectrum, Kalia said, which is an important feature to look for as it offers protection against both UVA and UVB rays.

Read more about sunscreen application, how to store it and what mineral-based products you can use.

As the summer season takes full swing and people’s calendars become jam-packed with engagements, the tendency to donate blood diminishes across the country, according to the Canadian Blood Services (CBS).

“People’s activities tend to change,” said Jennifer Mathieu, community development manager at CBS. “They have vacations, they go to cottages, they spend more time with family and friends, and they may not have remembered to book that appointment.”

Although there always tends to be a lag in blood donations in the summer, she said it’s starting earlier this year.

“There have been different impacts around Canada that may have (prevented) people from donating blood such as the recent wildfires,” Mathieu said.

“What we really need to see is that people right across Canada are donating. So when things are happening in people’s communities and they’re not remembering to book an appointment, the other part of Canada can step up and make sure that there is enough blood right across Canada for all patients.”

The need for blood is urgent, requiring donors of all blood types to step forward and contribute, she said. However, among all blood types, O-negative is most needed.

“That’s because it can be given to any patient, and when there is an emergency and seconds count, we need to have that O-negative blood on hand for those patients,” Mathieu said.

If you are interested in donating blood, you can check out the CBS website and book an appointment online.