High-profile coverage of the off-label use of Ozempic, a GLP-1 agonist, for weight loss, has meant that the type 2 diabetes drug has received a lot of bad press. As more studies into the long-term impact of this group of drugs are published, other potential benefits of the drug are emerging.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist drugs have been prescribed for people with type 2 diabetes and obesity for nearly 20 years, as they were
Since then, a number of long-term studies have emerged evaluating both their benefits and their risks, along with some results suggesting potential for further uses.
When blood sugar rises, glucagon binds to a specific receptor on the surface of beta cells in the pancreas, causing them to release insulin to convert the sugar in the blood and store the excess glucose into glycogen.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when a person cannot create enough insulin for the body to function, or their cells are not sensitive to insulin meaning they need more of it than normal.
This same receptor on the pancreatic beta cells is bound to by another hormone called glucagon-like peptide. The glucagon-like peptide is released by the intestines within minutes of eating food.
Researchers initially thought this hormone only affected insulin release, but further research showed that its presence increased glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis in cells, delayed gastric emptying, and increased the feeling of fullness after eating. Glucagon levels are lower in the presence of glucagon-like peptide.
GLP-1 agonists are drugs developed to act analogously to glucagon-like peptide, by binding to the same receptor on pancreatic beta cells they increase the release of insulin.
This improves glucose metabolism and therefore blood glucose levels in people…
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