Sunday, March 29, 2026 – Bariatric surgery far outperformed GLP-1 weight loss drugs in a new real-world comparison of more than 50,000 patients. Two years after treatment, surgery patients lost about 58 pounds on average, while those using semaglutide or tirzepatide lost roughly 12 pounds. Even patients who stayed on GLP-1 drugs for a full year saw much smaller results than surgical patients. High dropout rates and real-world challenges appear to blunt the drugs’ effectiveness.

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – Audience: Health Care Professional, Consumer January 13, 2026

FDA Evaluation Did Not Identify an Increased Risk of Suicidal Ideation or Behavior With the Use of GLP-1 RA Medications
This information is an update to the FDA Drug Safety…

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – Popular weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy can dramatically curb appetite, but experts warn many users are flying blind when it comes to nutrition. New research suggests people taking these medications may not be getting enough guidance on protein, vitamins, and overall diet quality, increasing the risk of muscle loss and nutrient deficiencies.

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – Could weight-loss drugs shrink the body representation we’ve spent decades seeking?

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – Plainsboro, NJ, US and Bagsværd, Denmark, February 24, 2026 –Today, Novo Nordisk announced that, effective January 1, 2027, the company will lower the list price, or wholesale acquisition cost (WAC), of Wegovy® (semaglutide)…

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – INDIANAPOLIS, Feb. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced detailed results from ACHIEVE-3, the first head-to-head Phase 3 trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of orforglipron, a small molecule oral GLP-1…

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – South San Francisco, CA — March 5, 2026 — Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), announced today positive topline results from the Phase II ZUPREME-1 trial evaluating investigational petrelintide versus placebo in 493…

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – Plainsboro, NJ, US and Bagsværd, Denmark, 09 March 2026 – Novo Nordisk today announced it has reached an agreement with telehealth company Hims & Hers that will take effect later this month. Under the terms of the agreement, Hims…

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., March 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) today announced positive topline results1 from the multiple ascending dose (MAD) part of its Phase 1 study evaluating the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK), and…

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – (MedPage Today) — The obesity drug semaglutide (Wegovy) conferred a significantly higher risk of ischemic optic neuropathy (ION) than any other GLP-1 agonist, including semaglutide for diabetes (Ozempic), an analysis of FDA data showed.
In a…

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – A Stanford study shows simple digital prompts can motivate people taking GLP-1 medications to make lifestyle changes. It’s a simple premise: What if something as small as a digital nudge could put someone on the path to healthier habits while taking GLP-1 medications?

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – (MedPage Today) — GLP-1 receptor agonist use was associated with a lower risk of death in cancer patients with brain metastases and type 2 diabetes, a retrospective cohort study found.
Within 3 years of a first recorded brain metastasis, patients…

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – (MedPage Today) — The FDA issued a warning letter to Novo Nordisk for failing to report and investigate potentially serious side effects associated with its popular GLP-1 medications.
In a letter dated March 5 and made public on Tuesday, the…

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – (MedPage Today) — Compounded versions of tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) containing vitamin B12 pose a potential safety risk to the public, Eli Lilly warned in an open letter on Thursday.
Following laboratory testing, the drugmaker said it uncovered…

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – Shanghai Unixell Biotechnology Co. Ltd. has obtained IND clearance from the FDA for UX-GIP001, its iPSC-derived allogeneic cell therapy for focal epilepsy. A phase I study will evaluate UX-GIP001 in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy.

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – (MedPage Today) — Patients on GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP agonists had significant residual gastric volume (RGV) if the medication wasn’t held prior to upper endoscopy unless they were on a clear liquid diet the day before, the OCULUS randomized trial…

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – (MedPage Today) — For patients with obesity and atrial fibrillation (Afib), GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs may be the weight loss approach that better addresses their arrhythmia, observational data suggested.
People who came out of catheter ablation…

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – The GLP-1 fight has moved from injectables to pills, and Structure Therapeutics Inc. is in the ring with phase III-ready aleniglipron. According to the Bay Area biotech, its oral once-daily glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drug candidate, aleniglipron, demonstrated an absolute weight loss of “up to 39 pounds” in the 44-week Access II trial.

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – Weight loss drugs have been linked to an increased risk of premature births among women who took them inadvertently just before or during early pregnancy to treat pre-existing diabetes. However, a large study of over 750,000 pregnancies found that there was no link to preterm births or other obstetric complications if the medication was being used to lose weight. The authors of the study, published in Human Reproduction Open, say their findings suggest that it is diabetes rather than the drugs that may be contributing to the increased risk of preterm births.

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – Following a rapid increase in popularity of GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and weight loss, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, approximately one in eight U.S. adults now take these medications, which also provide cardiovascular benefits. However, when patients stop taking these drugs, they not only regain weight, but, according to a new study, they also incur increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and death compared to staying on the medication.

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – The study findings may spark treatment innovations for depression and anxiety.

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – GLP-1 medications used to treat diabetes and obesity were associated with a reduced need for hospital care and sickness absence due to psychiatric reasons, a new study shows. The large register-based study was carried out in collaboration between the University of Eastern Finland, Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and Griffith University in Australia.

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – In a sea of uncertainty, a large-scale, long-term Swedish study is the first to show that people using GLP-1 receptor agonists are less likely to have worsening mental illness. The study involved a national cohort of 95,490 people diagnosed with depression or anxiety disorder, who also were treated with any diabetes drug (apart from insulin).

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – INDIANAPOLIS, March 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced positive topline results from TRANSCEND-T2D-1, a Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of retatrutide, an investigational…

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – (MedPage Today) — The FDA approved a higher dose of the GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide for weight loss, dubbed Wegovy HD, the agency announced on Thursday.
The once-weekly injectable will come in a 7.2-mg dose — three times the strength…

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – A stronger version of the popular weight loss drug Wegovy is on the way after federal regulators signed off on a higher dose. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a 7.2-milligram dose of Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy. Until now, the highest approved dose was 2.4 milligrams, taken as a weekly shot.

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – Whether they’re using weekly shots or daily pills, more Americans than ever are turning to anti-obesity drugs to lose weight and boost health.

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – This year’s catalysts in the space include a near-term FDA decision on Eli Lilly’s oral challenger to the new Wegovy pill. Looking further ahead, Novo Nordisk is expecting more clinical data for next-gen weight loss asset CagriSema, which recently lost a head-to-head battle with Lilly’s Zepbound.

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – WEDNESDAY, March 25, 2026 — Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, especially semaglutide, are associated with a reduced risk for worsening of anxiety and depression that co-occur with diabetes and obesity, according to a study…

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – In new research to be presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO2026) in Istanbul, Turkey (12–15 May), a global panel of 21 obesity and cancer experts suggest that to test the potential efficacy of the new generation of obesity drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide in preventing obesity-related cancer (ORC), a trial of the drugs for some 5,000 participants at high risk of cancer due to their having a cancer pre-cursor condition will provide the required answers.

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – A new type of daily pill has proven more effective for weight loss and blood sugar control than its currently available counterparts, according to a recent trial. The drug, known as orforglipron, could be a game-changer in the rapidly expanding oral weight-loss drug market.

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – So you’ve decided to go on a GLP-1 to lose weight. These medicines might seem like an easy way to drop unwanted pounds, but you’ll likely need to do a few other things to be successful long-term.

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – (MedPage Today) — People with pre-existing depression or anxiety were less likely to have mental health worsening while taking a GLP-1 medication, observational Swedish data suggested.
Compared with periods of non-use in the same individual…

Sunday, March 29, 2026 – These medications could be one reason why weight room floors seem busier than ever.

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Sunday, March 29, 2026 – Tirzepatide may help lower the risk of diabetic retinopathy, a diabetes complication that can lead to vision loss. Douglas Sacha/Getty Images

Weight loss medications Mounjaro and Zepbound, which contain the active ingredient tirzepatide, may lower the risk of diabetic retinopathy.

This diabetes complication occurs when high blood sugar levels damage the blood vessels in the retina at the back of the eye.

Diabetes also raises the risk of other eye diseases, including cataracts and glaucoma.

A widely prescribed type of medication for the management of type 2 diabetes may also help reduce the risk of developing an eye condition that can lead to vision loss.

In a recent study published in Ophthalmology, researchers found that GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Mounjaro and Zepbound, which contain the active ingredient tirzepatide, may lower the risk of diabetic retinopathy in people with type 2 diabetes.

The researchers said that people with type 2 diabetes were less likely to develop new diabetic retinopathy or progress to more dangerous stages of the disease while taking tirzepatide medications.

“Based on findings obtained from a large database of patients across multiple clinical practices, those with diabetic retinopathy may be less concerned that taking tirzepatide is going to make their condition worse,” said Szilard Kiss, MD, an ophthalmologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and lead author of the study, in a statement.

“The findings suggest they may have a reduced risk of requiring more eye treatments with lasers or injections, which are typically required when retinopathy becomes severe,” said Kiss, who is on the board of directors of Adverum Biotechnologies, which is owned by Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Mounjaro and Zepbound.

In the new study, researchers pointed out that previous research had indicated that weight loss medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy could worsen diabetic retinopathy and associated conditions.

The previous study found that semaglutide medications produced some temporary deterioration of diabetic retinopathy in people with type 2 diabetes.

However, those researchers reported that the effects were short-term and that there was no long-term association between semaglutide and increased progression of diabetic retinopathy during the study’s 3-year period.

Tirzepatide lowers diabetic retinopathy risk

To reach their findings, the researchers in the new study analyzed electronic health records from 174,000 people across 70 health systems in the United States.

They focused on participants with type 2 diabetes with weight management issues, comparing people who started tirzepatide with similar patients who pursued only lifestyle interventions such as nutrition therapy or exercise counseling.

The researchers reported that after one year of treatment, the subjects taking tirzepatide had a lower risk of worsening diabetic retinopathy or related complications than those using lifestyle interventions.

As one example, researchers stated that incident mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy occurred in 0.49% of tirzepatide patients compared with 1.2% of the lifestyle intervention group.

Benjamin Bert, MD, an ophthalmologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA, said there may be a simple explanation for the effects of tirzepatide and semaglutide medications on diabetic retinopathy. Bert wasn’t involved in the study.

Bert explained that both types of medications help to suppress the body’s appetite and hunger responses by mimicking the body’s natural GLP-1 hormone. They also help manage blood sugar levels.

Adrian Au, MD, an ophthalmologist at UCLA Health in Los Angeles who wasn’t involved in the study, agreed that reduced blood sugar levels are a key factor in diabetic retinopathy. However, he noted there may be short-term risks.

“The concern with semaglutide largely relates to drops in blood sugar, which can temporarily worsen retinopathy in people who already have advanced disease,” Au told Healthline. “This phenomenon has been observed with intensive glucose control even before [the] popularization of GLP-1 medications.”

“It is likely more about how quickly glucose improves than about a harmful drug effect,” he added. “Over the long term, better blood sugar control is associated with improved retinal outcomes, so these short-term findings may not negatively affect long-term risk.”

As tirzepatide mimics the GLP-1 hormone, it leads to what the study authors described as “greater improvements in insulin sensitivity, weight loss and metabolic inflammation.”

“That’s encouraging, but the question is always how do these drugs perform over the long term?”

Au cautioned that the new study’s results are preliminary. “It’s observational data, so it shows association, not proof of cause and effect,” Au said.

What to know about diabetic retinopathy

A 2021 study published in JAMA Ophthalmology estimated that nearly 10 million people in the United States have diabetic retinopathy.

The researchers found that 26% of people with the condition had diabetes. They estimated that nearly 2 million people had vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy.

They further noted that the number of people living with diabetic retinopathy had risen substantially since 2004. They predicted that prevalence would continue to grow in the coming decades due to the increasing number of cases of diabetes.

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition that can develop in a person with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. It occurs when the retina at the back of the eye is damaged.

The condition usually causes mild vision problems at first, but some people with it can eventually lose their eyesight.

Diabetes can affect the retina when high blood sugar damages the blood vessels in the eye.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) states that diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of preventable blindness in the United States. It’s also the most common eye disease in people with diabetes.

There are four stages of diabetic retinopathy, ranging from mild to severe to proliferative. The condition usually affects both eyes.

It’s uncommon to have symptoms during the early stages of diabetic retinopathy. When symptoms do occur, they include:

floaters or dark spots in vision

difficulty seeing at night

blurred vision

difficulty distinguishing colors

Treatments for diabetic retinopathy usually focus on managing blood sugar and general health with diabetes. The treatments include injections, laser treatments, and surgery. Eye drops are sometimes prescribed to relieve symptoms, but the drops don’t target the underlying blood vessel damage.

People at risk for diabetic retinopathy are advised to eat a healthy diet, quit smoking if they smoke, and get regular moderate exercise.

Au said that weight loss alone can provide overall benefits and improve eye health.

“Sustained weight loss improves blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol, all major drivers of overall health,” he explained.

Diabetes and eye disease

The high blood sugar levels associated with diabetes can cause a number of eye diseases due to the damage caused to blood vessels near the eyes.

Diabetic retinopathy is the most common of these diseases, but diabetes can also raise the risk of macular edema, cataracts, and glaucoma.

More severe cases of diabetic retinopathy can also lead to neovascularization, a condition in which the body forms new blood vessels in the retina. Those new vessels can increase eye pressure and damage the optic nerve, leading to vision loss and, in some cases, blindness.

A recent study concluded that the type 2 diabetes medication metformin may help manage age-related macular degeneration.

Bert recommended that people with type 2 diabetes get screened regularly for eye disease.

“Everyone with diabetes should have a dilated eye exam once a year,” he recommended.

Bert added that anyone with type 2 diabetes who notices a sudden change in vision should see an ophthalmologist promptly.

Au said regular exams, along with maintaining overall good health, are the best way to retain retinal health.

“Control blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol and get regular dilated eye exams,” he said. “If starting a powerful glucose-lowering medication, especially with pre-existing diabetic retinopathy, consider closer short-term eye monitoring during the first few months of treatment.”