Health · Pharma & Biotech · 2 days ago
Researchers are still assessing side effects of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs
GLP-1 drugs can help people lose weight, but they may also cause side effects such as nausea or diarrhea.
Researchers are still studying whether some less common problems, including hair loss and nail disorders, are linked to the drugs.
There is also limited evidence about how these medicines affect children as they grow.
The WHO does not recommend obesity medicines for children under 10, partly because their benefits and risks are not yet clear.
Researchers are still assessing the side effects of GLP-1 drugs, which are used for weight loss and other conditions.
Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation.
The drugs have also been linked to pancreatitis and gallstone disease, while research on possible vision effects remains mixed.
Studies have reported possible associations with hair loss and nail disorders, but have not established that the drugs cause these problems.
There is limited evidence on side effects in children, whose use of GLP-1 drugs has risen in the United States.
- Who
- People taking GLP-1 drugs, including those using them for weight loss. Researchers are studying their side effects.
- What
- Researchers are assessing the drugs’ possible side effects, including gastrointestinal problems and potential effects on vision, hair and nails.
- When
- The article was published on October 9, 2026. It also refers to research presented the previous week and WHO guidelines released on Wednesday.
- Where
- The United States is the focus of several reported figures and studies; a nail study was presented at a conference in Austria.
- Why
- The drugs are widely used and can have side effects, but their frequency and causes are still being assessed.
People suing Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly
Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly
Vision-loss claims
People suing Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly
They say their symptoms were brought on by the companies’ GLP-1 drugs.
Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly
The companies dispute the claims.
This recommendation accounts for the lack of evidence on both benefits and the potential adverse events and consequences of the different medications and/or their active ingredients on normal growth, development, physiological parameters, and mental health
A Gallup poll cited in the article found that 3% of Americans were taking a GLP-1 drug for weight loss.
GLP-1 prescriptions for children aged eight to 11 with obesity in the United States increased 310-fold.
A group presented findings at a conference in Austria suggesting that 66% of GLP-1 users reported at least one nail disorder.
The World Health Organization released its first guidelines on managing obesity in children and adolescents.
- US GLP-1 use
- 11% of Americans were taking a GLP-1 drug for weight loss, according to a recent Gallup poll.
- Past use
- 15% of Americans said they had used a GLP-1 drug for weight loss at some point.
- Hair-loss study
- Electronic health data from 67 US health-care organizations showed an association between GLP-1 use and increased risk of hair loss.
- Nail study
- 66% of GLP-1 users in a smaller study reported at least one nail disorder.
- Child prescriptions
- Prescriptions for children aged eight to 11 with obesity in the United States rose 310-fold between 2019 and 2026.
Sources
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