The Ohio State University
Wexner Medical Center
What is a GLP1 agonist, and how does it work?

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[Onscreen text:
Allison L. Rhodes, MD
Obesity Medicine Specialist
Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center]

Dr. Rhodes:
A GLP-1 receptor agonist is a medication that mimics the GLP-1 peptide. This is a hormone that your body makes naturally, and we know that in individuals with obesity, that these individuals sometimes produce lower levels of this hormone. And so what this medication does is it mimics this peptide hormone in your body and it binds to the receptors. And we know that these receptors are in the brain and throughout the gastrointestinal tract. They're involved in regulating appetite, hunger and satiety, as well as effects of hormones that are involved in blood sugar regulation.

I think what's so interesting about GLP-1 receptor agonists is that there's not one single mechanism that they're taking advantage of to help patients with weight loss, and that's why this group of medications for weight loss is so much more effective and so much more powerful than anything we've ever had before. GLP-1 as a peptide hormone is involved in blood sugar regulation, and it's also involved in appetite and fullness signaling in the body. It affects the brain and the gut both, as well as many other effects that are still being studied. We know semaglutide in particular has been studied in terms of reducing cardiovascular risk for preventing major cardiovascular events, and so the mechanism of action by which that occurs seems to be independent of the weight loss effects and is still being explored.

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[Onscreen text:
The Ohio State University
Wexner Medical Center
For more information, visit:
wexnermedical.osu.edu/weight-management]