GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: More Than Just Weight Loss Drugs!

 

     You can call it Ozempic, Wegovy, or Rybelsus but these GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) aren’t just Hollywood’s weight loss drugs! They’re one of the most powerful medical breakthroughs in decades but reducing them to just a “weight loss drug” misses the bigger story. I can see why most individuals would think this, after all it’s the main thing being marketed. From celebrities like Serena Williams and Charles Barkley on RO commercials, to Lizzo, Oprah and Elon Musk weighing in, GLP-1RA have become synonymous with weight loss and this perception risks fueling stigma against people who rely on them for serious health conditions.

What are GLP-1 Receptor Agonists?

This diagram shows how GLP-1 works throughout the body. it helps the pancreas release insulin and glucagon, lowers the production of glucose in the liver, and helps reduce food intake and increase satiety when it acts on the brain (6).

     What exactly are GLP-1RA? Let’s break it down. Our body naturally produces a hormone, Glucagon- Like- Peptide-1 (GLP-1) at the arrival of food in the small intestine (6). A receptor is a protein that is on the inside or the surface of a cell that waits for a specific molecule to trigger an effect within the cell. These specific molecules are agonists that bind to the receptor (2). Agonists can be either natural hormones or drugs. Think of it like a house key (the natural hormone) and the drug is like a copy you made for your kids. It’s not the original but it still unlocks the door. So GLP-1RA are synthetic versions of the natural GLP-1 hormone but engineered to last much longer than natural GLP-1 like your kids keeping the door open longer.

Diabetes:  The Bigger Picture

     According to the CDC, more than 38 million Americans (about 1 in 10) have diabetes with 90-95% having type 2 (8). In type 2 diabetes, the body’s cells resist insulin and the pancreas overproduces it. This leads to more glucose being stored as fat.

This is a visual from EverydayHealth.com that illustrates the cycle of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes.  The continuation of this cycle is what leads to weight gain (5).  GLP-1RAs help prevent this (2).

     GLP-1RA have been around for more than 20 years fighting diabetes. The first GLP- 1RA, BYETTA was approved by the FDA in April of 2005 (1). At that time, there were 18 million people living with diabetes and diabetes was the fifth leading cause of death(1). Now, diabetes is the eighth leading cause of death in the U.S (3). While many drugs are helpful in lowering blood glucose levels but they also have many side effects (9). This includes gastrointestinal discomfort, hypoglycemia, weight gain and increased risks of heart failure and bladder cancer. GLP-1RA not only treat diabetes but also reduce blood pressure, other cardiovascular complications, and albuminuria, a sign of kidney failure. GLP-1RA are being studied to treat fatty liver, dementia, and low bone density. The benefits of these GLP- 1RA don’t just stop here (9).

From Pop Culture to Real Life

     Many people, like me, weren’t aware of the existence of these GLP-1RA. I only heard of them last      year when rapper Drake was making fun of rapper Rick Ross claiming Ozempic has a side effect of jealousy during their rap beef. When I didn’t understand the line initially, I did my research and learned that Rick Ross once weighed over 400lbs and used Ozempic to lose a significant portion of that weight. I didn’t know much about these drugs at first only the surface level information about their weight loss benefits. One of my coworkers, Miranda, told me about her reasonings and all the things she has benefited from being on semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) compounded with Vitamin B12. When I interviewed Miranda, she said she started taking this medication because she had reached her highest weight ever and experienced fatigue, shortness of breath, and lack of endurance. She couldn’t do the things she enjoyed like playing with her nieces and nephews. Between May and September 2024 Miranda tried a caloric deficit and exercising regimen but unfortunately failed to see consistent results. It’s been a year now since starting her journey with a GLP-1RA. She has lost over 70lbs so far and now has an improved and normal BMI. She has had a positive experience so far, from improved bloodwork to improved joint pain and swelling since GLP-1s may help in decreasing inflammation. Miranda says she has also decreased her risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.

Conclusions

     Weight loss has come a long way, and some people just can’t lose weight with diet and exercise alone. While some may simply prefer the traditional method it is ultimately a personal choice. Maybe it’s not just about lowering the number on the scale, but about the individual’s health, energy, and showing up for their family. All in all, GLP-1RA didn’t start out as weight loss drugs, this just happened to be a great side effect of them. Their broader impact on health and quality of life is what is making them some of the biggest medical breakthroughs in our time.

By Said Zakaria, a Master's of Medical Science student at the University of Kentucky

Resources

 1.         Amylin Pharma, Inc., and Eli Lilly and Company. “Amylin and Lilly Announce FDA Approval of Byetta (Exenatide).” Amylin and Lilly Investor News Releases, 28 Apr. 2005, https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/amylin-and-lilly-announce- fda-approval-byettatm-exenatide.

2.         Baggio, Laurie L., and Daniel J. Drucker. “Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptors in the Brain: Controlling Food Intake and Body Weight.” Journal of Clinical Investigation, vol. 124, no. 10, Sept. 2014, pp. 4223–26. https://doi.org/10.1172/jci78371.

3.         Diabetes in America: Prevalence, Statistics, and Economic Impact. https://diabetes.org/about-diabetes/statistics/about-diabetes.

4.         GLP-1R and Diabetes. bpsbioscience.com/glp-1r-diabetes#ref6.

5.         Higuera, Valencia. “What Is Insulin Resistance? Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention.” EverydayHealth.com, 17 Feb. 2023, www.everydayhealth.com/type-2-diabetes/insulin-resistance-causes-symptoms- diagnosis-consequences.

6.         Muskiet, Marcel H. A., et al. “GLP-1 and the Kidney: From Physiology to Pharmacology and Outcomes in Diabetes.” Nature Reviews Nephrology, vol. 13, no. 10, Sept. 2017, pp. 605–28. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneph.2017.123.

7.         Professional, Cleveland Clinic Medical. “GLP-1 Agonists.” Cleveland Clinic, 30 June 2025, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/13901-glp-1-agonists.

8.         “Type 2 Diabetes.” Diabetes, 15 May 2024, www.cdc.gov/diabetes/about/about-type-2- diabetes.html.

9.         View of the Origins of Type 2 Diabetes Medications | British Journal of Diabetes. https://bjd-abcd.com/index.php/bjd/article/view/1003/1239?utm_