GLP1 - RA weight loss drugs get the Our Changing World treatment! What are they? How do they work? And what does the science say about the benefits, and the risks? Plus, beyond health outcomes, how might things change as they become more widely available?

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LEARN MORE:

• If you’d like a deeper understanding of how drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy affect appetite and blood sugar regulation, Emile Donovan spoke to Dr Sebastian Furness about this on Nights.
• Obesity genetics researcher Giles Yeo joined Afternoons to explain why body weight is influenced by much more than willpower, and why biology plays such a powerful role in hunger and weight regulation.
• The study that Dr Andrew Reynolds contributed to on how obesity trends are changing around the world was published in Nature. You can read the paper here.
• Curious about how the major incretin drugs compare? This systematic review and meta-analysis examines the effectiveness of semaglutide, liraglutide, dulaglutide and tirzepatide for blood sugar control and other outcomes.

GUESTS:

• Dr Andrew Reynolds, Department of Medicine, University of Otago

IN THIS EPISODE:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:12) How GLP-1 receptor agonists were developed as treatments for type 2 diabetes

(03:55) The biology of incretins, insulin, glucagon and how these drugs work

(07:20) The drugs available and funded in New Zealand

(11:34) Weight loss benefits, side effects and questions about long-term use

(20:30) Retatrutide, future incretin therapies and the emerging “Ozempic economy”

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details