GLP-1 Side Effects Are Still Coming Into Focus as Use Spreads to Kids
New research links GLP-1 drugs to hair loss, prescriptions for children aged 8 to 11 have risen 310-fold, and the WHO advises against the drugs for kids under 10.
About 11% of Americans now take a GLP-1 drug for weight loss. Researchers are still mapping what the drugs do beyond the scale.
TLDR
- Known side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation.
- The drugs have also been linked to pancreatitis and gallstone disease.
- New research associates GLP-1 use with a higher risk of hair loss.
- Prescriptions for children aged 8 to 11 with obesity rose 310-fold since 2019.
- The WHO does not recommend weight-loss drugs for children under 10.
What Is Known
The most common side effects are gastrointestinal: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation, according to MIT Technology Review. GLP-1 drugs have also been linked to pancreatitis and gallstone disease.
Some people claim that in rare cases the drugs may damage nerves behind the eye, and dozens are suing Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly over a condition that can cause sudden vision loss. Both companies dispute the claims, and research on the link is mixed.
What Is New
Researchers at George Washington University analyzed health records from 67 U.S. health-care organizations and found GLP-1 use was associated with an increased risk of hair loss, though it is still not thought to be common. A smaller study presented in Austria found many GLP-1 users reported nail problems, which were also common among non-users.
On the other side of the ledger, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk report that overweight and diabetic people taking GLP-1s show a biological age two to three years younger than similar people on placebo. Those findings come from the drugmakers themselves.
Kids Are the Next Question
GLP-1 prescriptions for children aged 8 to 11 with obesity rose 310-fold in the U.S. from 2019 to 2026, though they remain rare. The World Health Organization’s first global guidelines on childhood obesity do not recommend drug treatment for children under 10, citing “the lack of evidence on both benefits and the potential adverse events.”
Why It Matters
GLP-1s are reshaping how people eat and shop. As use grows, so do questions about long-term effects, especially in children. Food and nutrition will remain part of the answer, whether people stay on the drugs or come off them.
Source: MIT Technology Review. Read the report.