Challenges and Insights into Weight Loss Drugs
The popularity of new weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound is on the rise, with many celebrating their weight loss and associated health benefits. However, some doctors are observing puzzling responses in individuals who do not achieve the expected results despite following instructions precisely.
Challenges in Individual Responses to Medication
Some people taking new weight loss drugs feel frustrated when they see their peers losing significant weight while they do not achieve the same results. Scientists believe that the effectiveness of these drugs may be beyond individual control, with causes potentially linked to the factors that led to their weight gain initially.
Data shows that about 12% of Americans have used some form of GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight loss. However, data indicates that up to a quarter of these individuals can be considered “non-responders,” meaning they lose less than 5% of their body weight after three months of drug use.
Biological and Genetic Reasons
People do not respond uniformly to any weight loss approach due to the complexity of obesity. GLP-1 drugs primarily facilitate weight loss by making people feel full. Variations in the biological pathways affecting this mechanism may influence how beneficial the drugs are for some people compared to others.
Genetic differences might play a role in determining drug response. A small fraction of individuals with obesity carry rare genetic mutations causing what is known as monogenic obesity. However, for most people, obesity is considered polygenic, meaning it may arise from thousands of genetic variants.
Recent Research and Response Predictions
Andres Acosta and his team have worked on identifying four distinct biological patterns in overweight individuals that may affect their response to new weight loss drugs. For instance, people with a “hungry brain” pattern may require an abnormally high number of calories to feel full.
Acosta and his team developed a system combining genetic and physiological data to predict these differences in calorie needs for satiety. Researchers used this system to determine that people with a “hungry brain” pattern tend to respond poorly to drugs like liraglutide.
Future Directions and Ongoing Research
Research teams continue to explore specific genes that may affect individual responses to GLP-1 drugs. For example, scientists at the Cleveland Clinic are studying a gene called neuropeptide, which seems to influence weight loss in response to GLP-1 drugs.
Behavioral patterns can also determine drug effectiveness. For example, a study in Japan showed that people prone to overeating in response to external cues lost more weight when using GLP-1 drugs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while recent research provides some insights into why individuals respond differently to weight loss drugs, more studies are needed to pinpoint the exact factors influencing these responses. Understanding these differences could enable doctors to offer more personalized and effective treatments for individuals with obesity, saving time, money, and effort. Nevertheless, environment and lifestyle remain crucial factors that cannot be overlooked.