Glucagon like Peptide 1 News and Research

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Semaglutide as a promising new treatment for alcohol use disorder

Research indicates semaglutide can significantly decrease alcohol consumption and cravings in individuals with comorbid obesity and alcohol use disorder.

4 May 2026

Five-target drug beats GLP-1/GIP therapy in obese diabetic mice

A Nature study reports a single-molecule GLP-1–GIP–lanifibranor quintuple agonist that targets incretin receptor-expressing cells while activating PPARα/γ/δ pathways. In obese and insulin-resistant mice, the compound reduced body weight, food intake, and hyperglycaemia more effectively than semaglutide or GLP-1R–GIPR co-agonism, while remaining a preclinical finding.

30 Apr 2026

GLP-1 drugs reduce risk of major adverse cardiovascular events

New research has shown that GLP‑1 weight-loss drugs deliver protection against heart attacks, strokes and premature death over a sustained period of time.

30 Apr 2026

New research shows weight loss is possible without GLP-1

Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonism - GLP-1, common in obesity medicines - is not essential to weight management, according to preclinical research led by Richard DiMarchi and Matthias Tschöp, with funding from their startup company Bluewater Biosciences.

30 Apr 2026

GLP-1 drugs promise wider health benefits, but experts urge caution on use

GLP-1 receptor agonists are reshaping care for type 2 diabetes, obesity, chronic kidney disease, and obstructive sleep apnea, with evidence for glycemic, weight-loss, cardiovascular, and renal benefits. The review urges nurse practitioners to balance expanding clinical promise with careful prescribing, patient education, monitoring, access advocacy, and vigilance for gastrointestinal, endocrine, pregnancy-related, and rare serious risks.

27 Apr 2026

People judge weight loss more harshly when GLP-1 drugs are involved, study finds

In four pre-registered studies across Belgium, the US, and the UK, people judged anti-obesity medication users as putting in less effort and, in turn, viewed them as less moral, competent, warm, and deserving than non-users. The findings suggest that effort moralization may help drive stigma around GLP-1-based weight-loss treatment, even when medication is used alongside diet and exercise.

23 Apr 2026

Endoscopic procedure may prevent weight regain after GLP-1 discontinuation

An outpatient procedure may offer a way for the estimated 70% of people who discontinue popular weight-loss drugs to avoid regaining the pounds they shed, according to a study to be presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2026.

23 Apr 2026

Tirzepatide significantly reduces cardiovascular risk in high-risk patients

Two new studies show that tirzepatide, a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist (RA), significantly reduces cardiovascular risk in high-risk patients, including those undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and those with obesity undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

23 Apr 2026

Study identifies new genes linked to severe pregnancy sickness

The USC research team that recently identified the hormone-encoding gene GDF15 as a key driver of pregnancy sickness has identified 9 additional genes linked to its most severe form, hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).

14 Apr 2026

Genetic variants may reduce effectiveness of popular diabetes drugs

More than a quarter of people with Type 2 diabetes take GLP-1 receptor agonists, but the popular diabetes drugs might not work as well for people who have certain genetic variants, according to a new study by Stanford Medicine scientists and their collaborators.

12 Apr 2026

GLP-1 and dual GLP-1 / GIP drugs help lose body fat while preserving lean mass

New research to be presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025, Malaga, Spain, 11-14 May) shows that patients using GLP-1 or combined GLP-1 / GIP receptor agonist therapy for weight loss experienced minimal lean muscle mass loss as they lost weight across 6 months of treatment.

10 Apr 2026

Study finds nutritional risks in users of GLP-1 drugs

Adults with overweight or obesity taking the new generation of weight loss drugs semaglutide and tirzepatide tend to eat significantly less, leaving them vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies, according to one of the first real-world studies to examine dietary behavior in people using glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and dual GLP-1/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) dual agonists RAs (collectively referred to as GLP-1 RAs) with the help of an AI-powered nutritional tracking app.

9 Apr 2026

Genetic variants may help explain who loses more weight and who gets side effects on GLP-1 drugs

A large 23andMe-based GWAS found that common variants in GLP1R and GIPR help explain why some people lose more weight or experience more nausea and vomiting on GLP-1 drugs. The findings suggest genetics may eventually help predict who responds best to semaglutide or tirzepatide and who is more likely to develop side effects.

9 Apr 2026

Semaglutide for weight loss was linked to a sharp drop in alcohol use in this case report

A 2026 case report describes a 34-year-old man with obesity and alcohol use disorder whose semaglutide treatment for weight loss was associated with a marked drop in drinking over 10 months, with his AUDIT score falling from 27 to 7 and alcohol use dropping from about 15 drinks per week to half a beer per month. The authors frame this as a promising but preliminary finding that adds to growing evidence on GLP-1 drugs and alcohol use, while also stressing that this was a single case and that better AUD screening in family medicine remains important.

2 Apr 2026

How gut imbalance may drive obesity, diabetes, and heart disease

A new review argues that gut dysbiosis is closely linked to metabolic dysfunction through intertwined effects on inflammation, oxidative stress, gut barrier integrity, microbial metabolites, and epigenetic regulation. It also highlights microbiome-targeted strategies such as high-fiber diets, probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics, exercise, and fecal microbiota transplantation as promising ways to support metabolic health.

30 Mar 2026

Experts propose trial to evaluate obesity medications for cancer prevention

In new research to be presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO2026) in Istanbul, Turkey (12-15 May), a global panel of 21 obesity and cancer experts suggest that to test the potential efficacy of the new generation of obesity drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide in preventing obesity-related cancer (ORC), a trial of the drugs for some 5,000 participants at high risk of cancer due to their having a cancer pre-cursor condition will provide the required answers.

25 Mar 2026

Firmer potatoes lower post-meal blood sugar spikes

Minimally cooked potatoes may reduce blood sugar spikes, but benefits are short-lived and specific to certain populations, as shown in recent research.

23 Mar 2026

Oral semaglutide fails to slow early Alzheimer’s decline in two phase 3 trials

Two large phase 3 trials found that oral semaglutide 14 mg did not slow cognitive or functional decline over 104 weeks in people with early symptomatic, amyloid-positive Alzheimer’s disease. Semaglutide was generally consistent with its known safety profile and showed some biomarker changes, but these did not translate into clinical benefit.

22 Mar 2026

GLP-1 drugs cut heart and kidney risks in type 1 diabetes study

In a large target trial emulation of 174,678 people with type 1 diabetes, GLP-1 receptor agonist initiation was associated with lower risks of major cardiovascular events and end-stage kidney disease over five years. The study also found no increased risk of hospitalization for diabetic ketoacidosis or severe hypoglycemia, supporting further randomized trials of GLP-1RAs as adjunctive therapy in type 1 diabetes.

22 Mar 2026

How long should you take GLP-1 drugs? Study links longer use to lower heart risk

Continuous use of GLP-1 receptor agonists in adults with type 2 diabetes was associated with a lower risk of major cardiovascular events compared with sulfonylureas, with benefits increasing over time. Discontinuation or interruption was associated with a progressive loss of this protective effect, with risks approaching those of comparator therapy.

19 Mar 2026