BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Researchers at LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center, in partnership with the University of Colorado, examined GLP-1 medications and their unanticipated side effects, many of which they found to be positive.
The editorial by Dr. Steven Heymsfield and Dr. Adam Gilden, “Unanticipated Effects of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists: A Net Positive,” highlights benefits of the medication that weren’t expected upon initial development.
“Most of the unanticipated side effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists have been positive,” Heymsfield and Gilden wrote.
They found that GLP-1 medications may reduce inflammation, lower the risk of certain cardiovascular and musculoskeletal conditions, and reduce alcohol consumption and risk of certain substance abuse disorders.
Though they highlight some of the potential benefits of GLP-1 medications, they also pose questions about the medications’ effects on lean body mass and nutritional health, saying it’s important to learn how to preserve muscle with exercise and nutrition while on the medicine.
The full editorial can be found here.
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