What Are GLP-1 Drugs, And Why Are They Becoming Popular?

Whether it’s on TikTok or in the news, you’ve likely heard of people using medications like Ozempic® or Wegovy® for weight loss purposes.

This class of medications, referred to as GLP-1 agonists, have recently skyrocketed in popularity — so much so that there’s currently a GLP-1 shortage that’s expected to last through 2024. (1)

But why exactly are these drugs so high in demand, and what do we know about their potential side effects? We’ll explore these questions in this article. 

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What is GLP-1, and how does it work?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, GLP-1 agonists — which stands for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists — are a class of medications that help manage blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. Some of the most common brands of GLP-1 drugs include Trulicity®, Mounjaro®, Ozempic®, Wegovy® Adlyxin®, among others. 

GLP-1 drugs most commonly come in the form of an injection, and they work by mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which is naturally produced in the small intestine and serves many functions, such as: triggering insulin release from the pancreas, preventing glucose from entering the bloodstream, slowing digestion, and increasing satiety.

While originally created to address Type 2 diabetes, this class of drugs is effective as a weight-loss solution. Multiple studies have found that the use of GLP-1 agonists have a direct correlation to weight loss, with one study in the New England Journal of Medicine finding that adults lost an average of 15% of their body weight within a 15-month time period. (2, 3) 

As a result, some doctors prescribe these medications off-label for weight loss purposes. 

The rise of GLP-1 as a weight loss solution

Weight-loss drugs are nothing new in the U.S., so why are GLP-1 medications like Ozempic® and Wegovy® suddenly going viral on social media platforms? There may be a few contributing factors: 

• Obesity rates are on the rise. 2022 data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that obesity is on the rise, with 22 states having an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35%, compared to 19 states in 2021. This is a huge uptick from a decade ago, when no state had an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35%. The rising of obesity rates may explain why weight-loss medication is seeing a surge of popularity in recent years. 

• The drugs are proven to be effective. Unlike many weight loss fads, GLP-1 has been proven to work. An extensive review of clinical studies found that all of the studied GLP-1 medications help lower blood sugar and assist with weight loss, although to differing degrees. (4) 

• Celebrities are using them. Many public figures — from tech leaders like Elon Musk and Michael Rubin to reality TV stars like Golnesa Gharachedaghi — have spoken about using drugs like Mounjaro®, Ozempic®, and Wegovy® for weight loss purposes. Given their large platforms, it’s likely that they’ve influenced others to try the medications as well. 

Understanding the potential risks of GLP-1 drugs

While proven to be effective, there are side effects that people should be aware of before taking any GLP-1 drug.

The short-term side effects of GLP-1 drugs mainly center around gastrointestinal symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Other commonly reported side effects include injection site reactions, headache, and inflammation of the nasal passages. (5)

More severe side effects have been identified as well. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that participants who used a GLP-1 drug had a higher risk of pancreatitis, bowel obstruction, and gastroparesis. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also received reports about suicidal ideation as a side effect of GLP-1 drugs. 

Because this type of drug is still relatively new — with the first GLP-1 agonist being approved in 2005 — there isn’t yet a comprehensive understanding of the long-term side effects. 

The future of GLP-1 drugs in the U.S. 

As a result of some of the reports of serious side effects with GLP-1 drugs, the FDA is monitoring these medications more closely.

The agency recently conducted an investigation to look into the reports claiming a link between GLP-1 drugs and suicidal ideation. As of January 2024, the agency hadn’t found a correlation between the two. According to a statement released by the FDA: 

“Our preliminary evaluation has not found evidence that use of these medicines causes suicidal thoughts or actions…However, because of the small number of suicidal thoughts or actions observed in both people using GLP-1 RAs and in the comparative control groups, we cannot definitively rule out that a small risk may exist; therefore, FDA is continuing to look into this issue.”

This also hasn’t stopped the FDA from approving new GLP-1 drugs, such as Eli Lilly’s called Zepbound, which was approved late in 2023. This signals that more drugs classified as GLP-1 agonists will continue to come onto the market, especially as demand continues to surge. 

However, we can also expect that additional research will continue to be conducted on the side effects of these drugs — especially on a longer-term scale.