GLP-1 Therapies Research,
what lands in your inbox each week:
- 📚7 fresh studies
- 📝plain-language summaries
- ✅direct links to original studies
- 🏅top journal indicators
- 📅weekly delivery
- 🧘♂️always free
some of our latest newsletters:
(select one to read it below)
Semaglutide linked to reduced cigarette craving in 24 smokers
GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide are making headlines for dramatic weight loss. But this week's research reveals these medications might have effects far beyond the scale—from helping smokers quit to protecting hearts and kidneys in ways scientists are still figuring out.
🚬 Semaglutide May Help Smokers Quit Without Trying
- 24 daily smokers received 9 weeks of semaglutide (building up to 1.0 mg) or placebo in a controlled trial
- Semaglutide significantly reduced cigarette craving compared to placebo, though it didn't increase lab-measured smoking resistance or reduce weekly cigarette consumption
- Participants weren't trying to quit—they were recruited as "non-treatment-seeking" smokers who used at least 5 cigarettes daily
Why it matters: This suggests semaglutide might reduce nicotine addiction even when people aren't actively trying to quit smoking, potentially opening new pathways for smoking cessation treatment.
Key Findings
🏥 Tirzepatide Beats Semaglutide for Extreme Weight Loss
- Network analysis of 25 trials involving 12 different obesity medications found tirzepatide 15 mg produced the greatest weight reduction at 17.97%
- For patients achieving ≥20% weight loss, CagriSema (a combination drug) showed the strongest effect with 27.82 times higher odds than placebo, followed by tirzepatide 15 mg at 23.70 times higher odds
- Gastrointestinal side effects increased across all treatments, but serious adverse events remained comparable to placebo
❤️ Semaglutide Cuts Death Risk Across 39,000 Patients
- Meta-analysis of 8 trials with 39,204 patients found semaglutide reduced all-cause mortality by 16% and cardiovascular death by 17%
- Major heart attacks dropped by 25%, and worsening heart failure decreased by 16% compared to placebo
- Benefits extended to kidney outcomes, with an 17% reduction in kidney disease progression
🧠 GLP-1 Drugs May Fight Addiction Beyond Food
- Comprehensive review of preclinical studies shows GLP-1 receptor agonists consistently reduced intake and seeking behaviors for alcohol, nicotine, opioids, and stimulants
- Early clinical trials revealed therapeutic potential for reducing alcohol use and supporting smoking cessation
- Effects appear to work through modulation of brain reward pathways, specifically mesolimbic dopamine signaling
⚖️ Muscle Loss Emerges as Key Concern
- Analysis of 43 trials with 3,379 participants found GLP-1 drugs substantially reduced total body fat, visceral fat, and liver fat
- High-dose versions (liraglutide 1.8 mg daily, semaglutide 1.0 mg weekly, tirzepatide 15 mg weekly) significantly decreased lean muscle mass
- No significant differences in total lean tissue percentage were observed, suggesting the muscle loss may be proportional to overall weight reduction
👁️ Eye Condition Risk Linked to Semaglutide
- Meta-analysis of 8 studies covering over 14 million participants found semaglutide users had 3.36 times higher risk of developing NAION (a form of sudden vision loss) at 1-year follow-up
- Risk remained elevated at 2.37 times higher even after 5 years of use in patients with type 2 diabetes
- NAION is a rare but serious condition that can cause permanent vision loss in one eye
🤰 Pregnancy Risks Emerge from Real-World Data
- Study of 429 pregnant women exposed to semaglutide found 2.88 times higher odds of excessive weight gain during pregnancy compared to non-users
- Risk of gestational diabetes increased by 59%, and cesarean delivery risk jumped 3.35 times higher
- Former users who stopped before pregnancy showed similar risks, suggesting rebound effects rather than direct drug toxicity
Implications
This week's research reveals GLP-1 drugs are far more than weight-loss medications—they're emerging as multi-system therapies that may help with addiction, protect hearts and kidneys, but also carry previously unknown risks. The challenge now is understanding how to maximize benefits while managing side effects like muscle loss and rare complications.
Science is the only real news.
The rest is just drama 📰
And nowadays, we see that drama everywhere.
Drama sells ads, ads sell products, and my attention sells to the highest bidder.
Drama media is junk food for the mind.
A quick rush, hard to avoid, but little nutritional value.
The brain wants broccoli 🧠🥦
And look, it's not that science never makes the news.
But think about when it does—does the news really understand the science it reports on?
Like it or not, AI exists now.
And it happens to be a huge science nerd… 🔭🤖
…with a superpower…
...unlike an average science nerd, AI can explain it simply.
I built OpenScience to make the constant stream of new studies accessible to anyone.
To free science from academic jargon and tiny-fonted PDFs.
OpenScience is a weekly newsletter of 7 compelling studies from the past week in the topic of your choice.
Made simple, digestible, and delightful by AI.
Interested in CRISPR?
The latest Long Covid research?
Psychedelic medicine?
Follow the actual science, as it comes out.
Every study is linked to the original PubMed so you can verify the AI's summary yourself.
Pick a topic, get the weekly email, and give your mind the broccoli it deserves 🥦
The real-time unfolding of science is too interesting not to follow.