Q: I am 35 years old and, during my last pregnancy, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. It was treated successfully; both I and my baby came through the pregnancy/ delivery without complications. I had gained considerable weight during the pregnancy and, in spite of careful dieting and some exercise, I haven’t been able to lose much weight at all. Since I’m not nursing and I’m at high risk to develop diabetes, my primary care provider recommended a trial of one of the new medications on the market — Wegovy or Ozempic. The handout my clinician gave me called these medications “GLP1.” As I’ve read about side effects, I’ve become alarmed and would like to know more about the medication and other things to watch for.

A: GLP-1 is an abbreviation for “Glucagon-Like Peptide-1,” and these medications act, in the body, like glucagon, a hormone that mainly acts on the brain to control hunger and the stomach/ intestine to make you feel more “full” than you ordinarily would, as you’re eating, and delays normal emptying of the stomach following a meal.

The combination of these effects is that you eat less because you want less, which in turn leads to sometimes-dramatic weight loss. These medications also reduce inflammation in the entire body and appear, in studies, to have some protective effects against Alzheimer’s Disease, cardiovascular disease, infections and respiratory conditions.

One problem with the weight loss seen with GLP-1s is that up to 40% of the loss of weight is due to loss of muscle mass. The best way to avoid that is for the clinician to prescribe strength training (tailored to each person) and a high-protein diet (again tailored to each individual).

It is obviously important for each person taking these medications to report any unusual new weakness, which might require dosage adjustments.

Since thirst is also suppressed along with appetite, it’s important to pay careful attention to your hydration, especially in warm months.

Many Americans have been taking these medications (1 in 8 adults has received a prescription for one of these meds since they came on the market), and a great deal of data has been collected about other risks, which include arthritis disorders, low blood pressure, early kidney failure and pancreatitis. Any suspicion that any of these are occurring should be promptly reported to the prescribing provider, for further evaluation.

These medications are not a “magic bullet” for weight issues, and the best outcomes require open communication between those who prescribe them and those who take them.

I want to thank Joan R. for this question. To learn more about this and many other health topics, visit the American Academy of Family Physicians’ website, familydoctor.org, where you can search for your topic of interest. If you have any particular topic you would like to hear more about, please message me at paulmdake@gmail.com.

Dr. Paul Dake, a Newberry native, is a retired family physician. He lives in Pinconning, Michigan.