How Genetic Factors Are Associated with Behavioral Side Effects of GLP-1 Weight Loss Medication: Study Reveals
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Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP1RA)-medications for type 2 diabetes and obesity that have recently been making headlines due to a rise in popularity as weight loss agents—have been linked with behavioral side effects. A large population-based analysis in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism assessed whether certain genetic variants might help explain these effects.
GLP1RA mimic the GLP-1 hormone in the body that helps control insulin and blood glucose levels and promotes feelings of satiety. GLP-1 binds to GLP1R on cells in the brain and pancreas.
For the analysis, investigators examined common genetic variants in the GLP1R gene in 408,774 white British, 50,314 white European, 7,667 South Asian, 10,437 multiple ancestry, and 7,641 African-Caribbean individuals.
Variants in the GLP1R gene had consistent associations with cardiometabolic traits (body mass index, blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes) across ancestries. GLP1R variants were also linked with risk-taking behavior, mood instability, chronic pain, and anxiety in most ancestries, but the results were less consistent. The genetic variants influencing cardiometabolic traits were separate from those influencing behavioral changes and separate from those influencing expression levels of the GLP1R gene.
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