Adverse effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists (revision 5)
Old revision·23:16, 25 Jul 2024·StubSorterBot
| Adverse effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists | |
|---|---|
| Most common | Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation |
| Timing | Concentrated during escalation |
| Commonest reason for discontinuation | Gastrointestinal intolerance |
| Topic infobox · conventions | |
The adverse effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists are dominated by gastrointestinal events. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation are reported by between a fifth and a half of participants in trials depending on agent and dose, are most frequent during escalation, and diminish with time at a stable dose.[1]
Their mechanism is receptor-level rather than route-level: the same effects occur with an orally administered small-molecule agonist, which argues against a local gastrointestinal irritation explanation. Delayed gastric emptying and area postrema signalling are the proposed contributors.[1]
Gastrointestinal effects
[edit]| Effect | Approximate frequency at higher doses | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Nausea | 30–45% | Peaks in escalation, declines |
| Vomiting | 20–25% | Follows nausea |
| Diarrhoea | 25–30% | Variable |
| Constipation | 20–25% | May persist |
Frequencies are from placebo-controlled trials and the placebo arms are not zero — nausea is reported by 10–20% of placebo participants in the same trials, so the attributable excess is smaller than the raw figure.[2]
References
- ^ a b Drucker DJ. "Mechanisms of action and therapeutic application of glucagon-like peptide-1." Cell Metabolism 27(4):740–756 (2018). PMID 29617641.
- ^ Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Calanna S, et al. "Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity." New England Journal of Medicine 384(11):989–1002 (2021). PMID 33567185.