Health

Time - Millions of people in the U.S.—about 6% of the adult population, according to health-research organization KFF—take Ozempic or a drug like it, including Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. These drugs are collectively known as GLP-1 agonists because they mimic the body’s natural hormone GLP-1, which regulates appetite and digestion. The medications control blood sugar and help people eat less, which makes them highly effective treatments for both diabetes (for which Ozempic and Mounjaro are approved) and obesity (the target of Wegovy and Zepbound). They can also slash risks of heart attack, stroke, and chronic disease, studies suggest. And research continues to uncover new and surprising potential uses for GLP-1s, from addiction treatments to fertility boosters.

“Everybody wants to be on these drugs,” which are often seen as “magic,” says Clipper Young, a clinical pharmacist at Touro University California. But there’s a catch.  While most patients take GLP-1 drugs with few or no serious side effects, it's common to experience at least mild gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, constipation, and diarrhea. In some studies, more than half of patients reported nausea and roughly a third reported vomiting. And as the drugs get more popular, the list of potential side effects is growing longer. Researchers have recently found links between GLP-1 drugs and gastroparesis, intestinal blockage, inflammation of the pancreas, blood clots, and an eye disease that can lead to blindness. Research has also long raised concerns about a potential increased risk of thyroid tumors among susceptible patients.

Dr. Sandeep Palakodeti, a personalized health care entrepreneur who has written about the need for unbiased research and education about GLP-1 drugs, says these emerging reports are "definitely a signal that we need to investigate a little bit more."