Genetic differences may explain why some patients lose more weight or experience more side effects during treatment with GLP-1 medications, according to a new study reported by Reuters.<\/p>\n\n
The study, conducted by the DNA analysis company 23andMe and published in the journal Nature, included nearly 28,000 people who reported taking weight-loss drugs of this class.<\/p>\n\n
The results show that a mutation in the GLP1R gene\u2014which encodes the protein targeted by these drugs\u2014is associated with a better therapeutic effect. Individuals with one copy of the variant lost an average of 0.76 kg more over approximately eight months, while those with two copies lost about 1.5 kg more. <\/p>\n\n
At the same time, mutations in GLP1R and another gene, GIPR\u2014associated with insulin secretion and energy metabolism\u2014are linked to a higher risk of nausea and vomiting.<\/p>\n\n
The association with the GIPR gene was specifically observed in patients taking tirzepatide, a medication by Eli Lilly. For carriers of this variant, the risk of vomiting is 83% higher. <\/p>\n\n
Researchers note that the genetic effect on weight loss is relatively modest, but the results support the concept of personalized medicine.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cThese data provide direct genetic evidence that variations in the genes targeted by the drugs contribute to differences in individual response,\u201d the authors state.<\/p>\n\n
According to another study, the cardiovascular benefits of GLP-1 medications may be related more to the dosage than to actual weight loss.<\/p>\n\n
The study included over 47,000 patients with cardiovascular disease treated with semaglutide\u2014the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy\u2014for up to two years.<\/p>\n\n
As expected, higher doses lead to greater weight loss. However, two years after discontinuing treatment, patients who took higher doses showed a lower risk of death, heart attack, stroke, heart failure, and other cardiac complications\u2014regardless of how many kilograms they lost. <\/p>\n\n
The analysis shows that the proteins targeted by these drugs are particularly prevalent not only in the pancreas but also in the heart.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cUntil now, the focus was on the pancreas, but is it possible that the drug acts directly on the heart?\u201d commented study lead Venky Soundararajan.<\/p>\n\n
He emphasizes that this is a hypothesis, but the available data are sufficient to initiate more in-depth research.<\/p>\n\n
In a third study, scientists found that a single mutation in DNA can lead to a complete change in sexual development in mice.<\/p>\n\n
Working with embryos with XX chromosomes (female), scientists introduced a mutation in a DNA segment called Enh13, which controls the activity of the Sox9 gene\u2014key to the development of testes.<\/p>\n\n
Under normal conditions, this gene should be turned off for ovaries to develop. However, after the mutation was introduced, this control was disrupted, Sox9 was activated, and testes developed\u2014leading to full male development. <\/p>\n\n
Importantly, the mutation is not in the gene itself, but in so-called non-coding DNA\u2014the part of the genome that does not create proteins but regulates their activity.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cThe fact that a change in a single letter of DNA is sufficient for such a serious effect shows how important non-coding DNA is for development and disease,\u201d explains Nitzan Gonen from Bar-Ilan University.<\/p>\n\n
The discovery may have implications for understanding so-called disorders of sex development in humans\u2014conditions that affect approximately one in 4,000 births and often remain without a clear genetic diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cOur results show that it is not enough to examine only the genes; important mutations may also be hidden in the regulatory regions of DNA,\u201d adds co-author Elisheva Aberbook.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Genetic differences may explain why some patients lose more weight or experience more side effects during treatment with GLP-1 medications, according to a new study reported by Reuters. The study, conducted by the DNA analysis company 23andMe and published in the journal Nature, included nearly 28,000 people who reported taking weight-loss drugs of this class. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5214,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jet_sm_ready_style":"","_jet_sm_style":"","_jet_sm_controls_values":"","_jet_sm_fonts_collection":"","_jet_sm_fonts_links":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[96],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5213","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n