7 ms·

Mild counterpoint: a friend of mine, a professional woman, started on GLP-1 drugs some time ago. She has lost weight, but she also says she's had significant co

by twic 1mo ago

Mild counterpoint: a friend of mine, a professional woman, started on GLP-1 drugs some time ago. She has lost weight, but she also says she's had significant cognitive improvements, more focus, better sleep, etc. It would be great to have research which explicitly teases out these various effects.

throw-the-towel 1mo ago
OTOH, these other effects could have been directly caused by weight loss. Being overweight isn't exactly healthy!
Balooga 1mo ago
This research already exists though. Obesity and being overweight increases the risk of sleep apnea, strokes, heart disease, diabetes, mental health problems, etc. etc
- cjbgkagh 1mo ago
  Causality is an issue there, I would suggest that genetic auto immune issues that are rather wide spread can cause all of the above. I think people are finding that GLP-1s help with auto immune issues.
  - logicchains 1mo ago
    The incidence rate of genetic issues generally doesn't change much over time due to how slow genes changes, so an increase in obesity rates from 5% to over 40% in just a few generations suggest the cause is very unlikely to be due to genetics.
    - cjbgkagh 1mo ago
      Not exclusively genetic but inclusively genetic. There are of course other factors involved and I think genes are a big one.
    - joquarky 1mo ago
      In the US, I'm convinced that it was the food pyramid. As a kid in the 80s, I wondered how it made sense that my diabetic father was told to follow the same model as non-diabetics, which emphasized carbohydrates.
      - Balooga 1mo ago
        "Revealed: group shaping US nutrition receives millions from big food industry" -- The Guardian[1] [1] - https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/dec/09/academy-nutrition-financial-ties-processed-food-companies-contributions https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/dec/09/academy-nutr...
  - Balooga 1mo ago
    I can speak only for myself. But when I was overweight, the heels of my feet would crack into such deep fissures that I could remove skin like thick pieces of jerky. I lost 90 pounds and now the heels of my feet are as soft and supple as a baby's bottom. Being overweight causes all sorts of weird side effects.
  - ASalazarMX 1mo ago
    Anectata: I sleep much better after losing about 25 kg, and don't snore anymore. I didn't really think before about how your airways can get fat, but now that they're thinner, I had to relearn how to swallow, because food/drinks tried to go up my nose. I guess my point is that resting better has all sorts of secondary improvements.
  - Daishiman 1mo ago
    Nah you don't get to 40% obesity in some countries due to genetic issues. It's all hyperpalatable foods and the effects of extra adipose tissue are know to be bad for pretty much every health metric under the sun.
dd8601fn 1mo ago
I really wish these weren’t forever drugs. I would be next in line.
- estearum 1mo ago
  Do you have the same concerns about water or food? Why does it matter that it stops benefitting you if you stop taking it?
  - dd8601fn 1mo ago
    Oh god… if only I could quit food, too.
    - estearum 1mo ago
      No but like... why is it a concern? Money? The health problems that GLPs produce help people avoid are way more costly than the drugs will ever be. Especially now that the market is so competitive and will only get moreso.
      - treis 1mo ago
        For me, historically drugs like this for ADHD or depression or gastric bypass or whatever tend to lose effectiveness over time as the body adjusts. Not for everyone but for enough where you've got a short term gain that ultimately compounds the original problem. Medication can be a slippery slope into side effects and rotating dosages/medicines. Especially for behavioral medicines.
        astrange 1mo ago
        ADHD medications do not lose effectiveness over time. That's magnesium deficiency.
        disgruntledphd2 1mo ago
        > ADHD medications do not lose effectiveness over time. I mean, they're mostly stimulants, which definitely lose effectiveness over time. It would be really weird if they didn't as that's basically how our bodies work in general. Note: I have been prescribed said medication, but have not started taking them yet so I might be entirely wrong in the practicalities (and how would one disentangle the psychological impact of medication from the physiological impact?).

by twic 1mo ago

throw-the-towel 1mo ago

OTOH, these other effects could have been directly caused by weight loss. Being overweight isn't exactly healthy!

Balooga 1mo ago

This research already exists though. Obesity and being overweight increases the risk of sleep apnea, strokes, heart disease, diabetes, mental health problems, etc. etc

cjbgkagh 1mo ago
Causality is an issue there, I would suggest that genetic auto immune issues that are rather wide spread can cause all of the above. I think people are finding that GLP-1s help with auto immune issues.
- logicchains 1mo ago
  The incidence rate of genetic issues generally doesn't change much over time due to how slow genes changes, so an increase in obesity rates from 5% to over 40% in just a few generations suggest the cause is very unlikely to be due to genetics.
  - cjbgkagh 1mo ago
    Not exclusively genetic but inclusively genetic. There are of course other factors involved and I think genes are a big one.
  - joquarky 1mo ago
    In the US, I'm convinced that it was the food pyramid. As a kid in the 80s, I wondered how it made sense that my diabetic father was told to follow the same model as non-diabetics, which emphasized carbohydrates.
    - Balooga 1mo ago
      "Revealed: group shaping US nutrition receives millions from big food industry" -- The Guardian[1] [1] - https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/dec/09/academy-nutrition-financial-ties-processed-food-companies-contributions https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/dec/09/academy-nutr...
- Balooga 1mo ago
  I can speak only for myself. But when I was overweight, the heels of my feet would crack into such deep fissures that I could remove skin like thick pieces of jerky. I lost 90 pounds and now the heels of my feet are as soft and supple as a baby's bottom. Being overweight causes all sorts of weird side effects.
- ASalazarMX 1mo ago
  Anectata: I sleep much better after losing about 25 kg, and don't snore anymore. I didn't really think before about how your airways can get fat, but now that they're thinner, I had to relearn how to swallow, because food/drinks tried to go up my nose. I guess my point is that resting better has all sorts of secondary improvements.
- Daishiman 1mo ago
  Nah you don't get to 40% obesity in some countries due to genetic issues. It's all hyperpalatable foods and the effects of extra adipose tissue are know to be bad for pretty much every health metric under the sun.

dd8601fn 1mo ago

I really wish these weren’t forever drugs. I would be next in line.

estearum 1mo ago
Do you have the same concerns about water or food? Why does it matter that it stops benefitting you if you stop taking it?
- dd8601fn 1mo ago
  Oh god… if only I could quit food, too.
  - estearum 1mo ago
    No but like... why is it a concern? Money? The health problems that GLPs produce help people avoid are way more costly than the drugs will ever be. Especially now that the market is so competitive and will only get moreso.
    - treis 1mo ago
      For me, historically drugs like this for ADHD or depression or gastric bypass or whatever tend to lose effectiveness over time as the body adjusts. Not for everyone but for enough where you've got a short term gain that ultimately compounds the original problem. Medication can be a slippery slope into side effects and rotating dosages/medicines. Especially for behavioral medicines.
      - astrange 1mo ago
        ADHD medications do not lose effectiveness over time. That's magnesium deficiency.
        disgruntledphd2 1mo ago
        > ADHD medications do not lose effectiveness over time. I mean, they're mostly stimulants, which definitely lose effectiveness over time. It would be really weird if they didn't as that's basically how our bodies work in general. Note: I have been prescribed said medication, but have not started taking them yet so I might be entirely wrong in the practicalities (and how would one disentangle the psychological impact of medication from the physiological impact?).