Railway traffic across the border of North Korea and Russia has surged since last month with unknown cargo.

US-based Korean unification think tank Beyond Parallel examined satellite imagery of railcars and transportation facilities between the two countries and found traffic "far greater" than any point in the last five years.

"In the aftermath of the Kim-Putin summit, satellite images as of October 5, 2023, captured a dramatic and unprecedented level of freight railcar traffic at North Korea’s Tumangang Rail Facility located on the North Korea-Russia border," Beyond Parallel wrote in a report published Friday. 

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The report continued, "In light of a U.S. government official’s statement yesterday that North Korea has begun transferring artillery to Russia, it is probable that these shipments are to support Russia in its war with Ukraine."

A steady increase of freight cars has been observed at Tumangang Rail Facility in North Korea. 

Approximately 73 railcars have been documented, compared to the maximum 20 previously documented at any given time over the past five years.

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"Given that Kim and Putin discussed some military exchanges and cooperation at their recent summit, the dramatic increase in rail traffic likely indicates North Korea’s supply of arms and munitions to Russia," Beyond Parallel claimed.

However, extensive use of tarps and freight coverings have intentionally obscured the contents of the cargo shipments between the two nations.

Putin this month hosted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to discuss a potential arms deal, though neither leader signed any formal agreement by the end of the six-day trip. North Korea would reportedly receive advanced weapons technology and food supplies from Russia in exchange for more ammo and artillery.

North Korea’s potential partnership with Russia, which would see the country supply Moscow with much-needed munitions, is likely to make little impact in the ongoing Ukraine conflict, experts told Fox News Digital.

"If you're going to North Korea for help, you're kind of hitting the dregs," said Seth Jones, director of both the International Security Program and Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "North Korea is a desperate country. It’s been sidelined by pretty much everybody, it’s got massive famine in the country – if you’re going to the North Koreans for help, this is a last resort."

Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, which is about to enter its 20th month, has consumed a vast amount of munitions and destroyed significant numbers of heavy artillery on both sides, driving both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to find any additional support they can in order to last longer than the other side. 

Fox News Digital's Peter Aitken contributed to this report.

Popular weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic could increase the risk of stomach paralysis as well as several other serious gastrointestinal conditions, according to a study published Thursday in JAMA.

This was the first large epidemiological (disease-related) study to examine these adverse effects in non-diabetic patients using the drugs specifically for weight loss, per a press release from The University of British Columbia (UBC).

The risk was linked to all semaglutides, a class of medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists — including Ozempic (prescribed for diabetes management), Wegovy (prescribed for weight loss), Rybelsus (type 2 diabetes) and Saxenda (weight loss).

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Stomach paralysis, officially known as gastroparesis, prevents the nerves and muscles in the stomach from moving food into the small intestine, which keeps digestion from occurring, as described on Cleveland Clinic’s website.

In addition to stomach paralysis, the drugs were linked to a greater risk of pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) and bowel obstruction, which prevents food from passing through the small or large intestine, the release stated.

UBC researchers examined the health insurance claim records for approximately 16 million U.S. patients who were prescribed Ozempic, Wegovy or either semaglutide or liraglutide medications across a 14-year span (between 2006 and 2020).

Compared to another weight loss drug, bupropion-naltrexone, those who took a GLP-1 agonist were 3.67 times more likely to develop stomach paralysis, had a 9.09 times higher risk of pancreatitis and were 4.22 times more likely to have bowel obstruction. 

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For the cases of stomach paralysis, the researchers could not assess whether the condition was temporary or permanent. 

"There are reports from other journalists where they have met patients whose symptoms have not gone away despite stopping the drugs," study co-author Dr. Mahyar Etminan, associate professor in the Departments of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences and Medicine at UBC, told Fox News Digital.

There are medications that can be used to help with the condition, he added.

Although these complications were rare, the researchers found them concerning, given that millions of people are using these medications worldwide.

The number of people in the U.S. using GLP-1 agonists for either diabetes or obesity reached 40 million in 2022, they noted.

"These drugs are becoming increasingly accessible, and it is concerning that, in some cases, people can simply go online and order these kinds of medications when they may not have a full understanding of what could potentially happen," said first author Mohit Sodhi, a graduate of UBC’s experimental medicine program, in the release.

"Given the wide use of these drugs, these adverse events, although rare, must be considered by patients thinking about using them for weight loss."

The researchers recommend that regulatory agencies and drugmakers consider updating the warning labels for their products, which currently don’t include the risk of gastroparesis. 

"This is critical information for patients to know so they can seek timely medical attention and avoid serious consequences," said Sodhi. 

The decision about whether to take the drug in spite of these risks will depend on each patient’s individual situation, the researchers said.

"This decision should be individually assessed," said Etminan. "There are patients where the benefit of the drugs might outweigh the risks (very obese individuals), whereas in other situations (healthy individuals who just want to lose a few pounds), the risks might outweigh the benefits."

The study did have some limitations, the researchers noted.

"We did not have access to medical charts to ascertain all subjects' medical histories," said Etminan. "Also, we could not look at risk with individual GLP-1 drugs, but this is probably a class effect of these drugs."

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The researchers also did not determine whether certain groups were at higher risk of this adverse side effect, but Etminan said he suspects that those with preexisting GI conditions might be more susceptible.

California-based cardiologist Dr. Ernst von Schwarz, author of "The Secrets of Immortality," was not involved in the study but noted that it confirmed a higher prevalence of pancreatitis, gastroparesis and bowel obstruction in patients on GLP-1 agonists. 

"On the other hand, these drugs have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events as shown for Ozempic in 2016 in diabetics and in 2023 for Wegovy," he said in an interview with Fox News Digital.

"The achieved weight loss using GLP-1 agonists, as well as the improved glucose control, seem to have significant benefits on cardiovascular outcomes, but patients need to be informed about the relatively small incidence of abdominal side effects as seen in this cohort study," said von Schwarz. 

"The benefits on cardiovascular risks, however, appear to outweigh the risks of side effects."

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists "ileus" as a potential side effect of Ozempic.

Ileus is the inability of the intestine (bowel) to contract normally and move waste out of the body, according to Mayo Clinic.

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In August, a Louisiana woman sued Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic and Wegovy, and Lilly, which makes another GLP-1 agonist, Mounjaro, claiming that the companies "downplayed the severity of gastrointestinal events caused by Ozempic and Mounjaro — never, for example, warning of the risk of gastroparesis (‘paralyzed stomach’) or gastroenteritis."

The woman, who used Ozempic for more than a year before switching to Mounjaro last month, alleged she was "severely injured as a result" of using both drugs, the suit stated. 

In a statement at the time, a spokesperson for Novo Nordisk told FOX Business that gastrointestinal events "are well-known side effects of the GLP-1 class" and "are mild to moderate in severity and of short duration." 

The company provided the below statement to Fox News Digital on Friday, Oct. 6. 

"At Novo Nordisk, patient safety is a top priority. We work closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to continuously monitor the safety profile of our medicines. The FDA-approved product labeling for Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1RA medicines indicated for use in weight management (Saxenda and Wegovy) includes information about their potential side effects, including pancreatitis, acute gallbladder disease, ileus and delayed gastric emptying."

"Similar information is included in the product labeling for our GLP-1RA medicines indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (Ozempic, Rybelsus and Victoza)," the statement went on. 

"Novo Nordisk stands behind the safety and efficacy of all of our GLP-1RA medicines when used consistent with the product labeling and approved indications."

Novo Nordisk continued, "With respect to the study, as the authors acknowledge, the study has limitations, including potential confounding by indication and by other factors."

The company added, "It is also important to note that the study analyzed data collected during the period between 2006 and 2020. During this time, Wegovy was not on the market; Saxenda was first approved in December 2014. In addition, Victoza was FDA-approved in January 2010 and Ozempic was FDA-approved in December 2017."

Daniella Genovese of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.

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