GLP-1 weight-loss drugs brain disorder risk 2026
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Man claims blindness after taking Ozempic
Todd Engel is a 63-year-old Maryland man who was prescribed Ozempic in 2023 to manage his diabetes.
Novo Nordisk stated that it believes the personal injury lawsuits filed in the U.S. are without merit and is defending them in court.
Engel is among hundreds of patients pursuing legal action against makers of GLP-1 medications over claims that the drugs caused NAION.
“I first noticed it on New Year's Eve, 2024. I had just gotten out of the shower, was getting ready to go to work. And I said to Shelley, ‘I can't see in my right eye. It's totally black. It's totally dark in my right eye,’”
GLP-1 drugs explored as potential anti-aging medications
Dr. James Kirkland directs the Center for Advanced Gerotherapeutics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Novo Nordisk research found that semaglutide reduced the heart's biological age by two to four years compared with a placebo, and reduced the age of organs such as the lung, kidney, brain and pancreas by one to four years.
Scientists at the University of California at Berkeley gave 20-month-old mice injections of semaglutide or a placebo for the rest of their lives.
“There are people who are biohacking and taking these agents who are not either diabetic or obese, and the question there is what happens in lean younger non-diabetic individuals, especially over the long term,”
Walmart expands employee benefits to cover GLP-1s, inhalers, and insulin at no cost
Walmart is raising rates for its starting plan by $1.50 per pay period to $39.80.
Walmart is the biggest private employer in the U.S.
Starting next year, Walmart employees under most plans can use the specialist benefit to get a second opinion for rare conditions such as ALS, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's.
Lilly and Novo bet on amylin for next wave of obesity drugs
Novo Nordisk is developing an experimental amylin-based drug called cagrilintide.
Leerink Partners analyst David Risinger forecasts $23.2 billion in annual sales for Eli Lilly's eloralintide products by the end of 2035.
Novo Nordisk's CagriSema is a combination of cagrilintide and semaglutide.
“There are millions of individuals, potentially over 10 million people, who have tried GLP-1s and failed due to efficacy reasons, tolerability issues, or genetic issues where they simply do not respond to one,”
Doctor warns high-dose weight-loss drugs can be dangerous
Dr. Will Cole said he supports wider access to peptides, but emphasized the importance of transparency, product purity and clear labeling.
Dr. Will Cole said peptides are "intimately connected" with longevity, cellular healing and metabolic health.
Dr. Will Cole said GLP-1s hold therapeutic potential to reduce inflammation, help manage autoimmune conditions and improve gut health.
“Food noise is actually a decent thing in balance, so shutting down your hunger cues with an 'atomic bomb' peptide dose is not the solution.”
Weight-loss drugs may play role in cancer outcomes
Yendamuri said that for patients on GLP-1 receptor agonists undergoing lung cancer surgery, the recurrence rate appears to be lower.
Yendamuri said his team found in every investigation they conducted that obesity increases the risk of lung cancer.
The AACR report stated that obesity is a major risk factor for many cancers.
Lawsuits filed over rare eye stroke linked to popular weight-loss drugs
Hundreds of consumers are suing the manufacturers of GLP-1 receptor agonists, alleging the medications may increase the risk of a rare form of vision loss.
Novo Nordisk called the lawsuits meritless.
The FDA has not concluded that semaglutide causes NAION and has not issued a safety warning for semaglutide medications.
Study finds GLP-1 side effects in children within one year
The most common nutritional deficiency diagnosis in the study was vitamin D deficiency at 12%.
Only about 5% of people in the study were given dietary counseling in the first 30 days after being prescribed a GLP-1.
A study found that approximately 17% of children ages 10 to 17 were diagnosed with a nutritional deficiency or related complication within one year of starting a GLP-1 medication.
Eli Lilly CEO reports surge in GLP-1 patients after Medicare coverage
Dave Ricks said Lilly is capturing about seven out of ten new Medicare GLP-1 patients, with many on Zepbound.
The Medicare Bridge program allows eligible beneficiaries to obtain weight loss drugs for a $50 monthly co-pay.
Eli Lilly CEO Dave Ricks said 700,000 new seniors have started GLP-1 treatments since Medicare coverage of obesity drugs launched in July 2025.
AI analysis of 400,000 Reddit posts uncovers hidden Ozempic side effects
Tronieri reports receiving an investigator-initiated grant from Novo Nordisk and consulting fees from Currax Pharmaceuticals.
Lyle Ungar is a co-author on the study and a Professor in CIS at Penn Engineering.
The authors report no outside funding for the study.
GLP-1 weight-loss drugs linked to potentially deadly brain disorder
Karthik Achari said GLP-1 medications can reduce appetite while also causing nausea and vomiting, making it easier for some people to become deficient in vitamin B1.
A new study published in Clinical Nutrition identified 15 reported cases of Wernicke encephalopathy in people taking GLP-1 receptor agonists.
If left untreated, Wernicke encephalopathy can lead to permanent neurological damage or death.