The use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist medications continues to rise, with a 155% increase in the percentage of people with type 2 diabetes taking these drugs from 2018 to 2022. The use of GLP-1s for weight loss is also increasing.
The latest polls report that of the one in eight Americans who have taken a GLP-1 medication, about 38% have only taken them to help lose weight . As interest in GLP-1s continues to grow, researchers are beginning to examine how these medications might affect a person’s health beyond diabetes management and weight loss .
“Hundreds of millions of people are taking or will soon take GLP-1 medications for the treatment of obesity and diabetes,” Aparna Kamat, MD , director of the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Houston Methodist Hospital, told Medical News Today . “That scale means even an unexpected benefit, or an unexpected harm, becomes a public health event.
We have an obligation to understand the full biology of these drugs, not just the intended effect.
Medical News Today published a clinical update in Research Highlights on 16 Jun 2026.
The item focuses on Weight loss drugs slash risk of 4 types of cancer by 50% or more, study finds.
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