A new study in mice and humans suggests GLP-1 medicines drive weight loss primarily by reducing fat, while preserving muscle function and easing fears about harmful muscle wasting. Key takeaways Fat, not skeletal muscle, accounted for most of the weight loss. According to the study, GLP-1 medicines reduced body fat in obese mice much more … Read more
A large real-world study shows that patients who stop popular GLP-1–based weight-loss drugs often return to treatment or try alternative therapies, helping explain why average weight regain after discontinuation may be smaller than expected. Study: Obesity Treatments and Weight Changes in Clinical Practice After Discontinuation of Semaglutide or Tirzepatide. Image credit: KaterynaBorodina/Shutterstock.com Obesity treatment has … Read more
A major study of US veterans suggests that GLP-1 diabetes medications may influence addiction-related outcomes, revealing a surprising connection between metabolic treatments and substance use risk. Study: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and risk of substance use disorders among US veterans with type 2 diabetes: cohort study. Image Credit: Kotcha K / Shutterstock A recent study … Read more
Few drugs have entered mainstream awareness as quickly or as dramatically as glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1 receptor agonists. Initially approved by the FDA for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, they have since also transformed the therapeutic landscape of obesity and weight management. These medications are clearly effective. They stimulate the release of insulin and … Read more
A sweeping Lancet review reveals how modern incretin-based drugs are reshaping treatment for obesity and diabetes, delivering powerful weight loss while simultaneously protecting the heart, kidneys, and metabolic health. Review: GLP-1 receptor agonists and next-generation incretin-based medications: metabolic, cardiovascular, and renal benefits. Image Credit: Gecko Studio / Shutterstock In a recent review published in The … Read more
Can combining two gut hormone pathways unlock better obesity treatments? In the first human trial of dapiglutide, researchers found encouraging metabolic signals but no statistically significant edge over placebo, highlighting both the promise and the limits of next-generation dual agonists. Trial: Dapiglutide, a dual GLP-1 and GLP-2 receptor agonist, for obesity: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled … Read more
Widely used weight-loss and diabetes drugs show clear benefits, but emerging evidence clarifies their side effects, rare risks, and what clinicians should monitor long term. A recent review article published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation summarized the adverse effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and dual incretin receptor agonists such as tirzepatide. Of … Read more
Emerging evidence suggests widely used metabolic drugs could influence brain aging pathways, yet large clinical trials are still needed to confirm whether they truly alter the course of neurodegenerative disease. Study: The promise of GLP-1 receptor agonists for neurodegenerative diseases. Image Credit: Antonio Marca / Shutterstock In a recent review published in the Journal of Clinical … Read more
A controlled crossover trial finds that short-term consumption of unprocessed beef is on par with poultry for glucose control, β-cell function, and cardiometabolic markers in people with prediabetes. Study: Effects of Diets Containing Beef Compared with Poultry on Pancreatic β-Cell Function and Other Cardiometabolic Health Indicators in Males and Females with Prediabetes: A Randomized, Crossover … Read more
An expert editorial suggests that widely used diabetes and obesity drugs may help close the long-standing mortality gap faced by people with serious mental illnesses by tackling cardiovascular risk and metabolic disease head-on. Editorial: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have potential to transform health outcomes for persons with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder … Read more