GLP-1 Drugs: Efficacy, Safety, and Equity

The field of public health and nutrition is experiencing a transformation due to the rapid adoption of weight loss pharmacotherapies, particularly glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and similar agents. Initially designed for glycemic control, these drugs are increasingly deployed to address obesity, bringing with them a range of unresolved questions about clinical efficacy, safety profiles, health equity, and their broader impact on healthcare systems and policy. Although emerging research demonstrates substantial potential in reducing weight and improving metabolic health, there remain significant uncertainties and concerns regarding long-term outcomes, nutritional ramifications, equitable access, and system-wide consequences.Pharmacotherapy for weight loss now exerts influence well beyond specialized obesity management, reshaping care pathways in fields such as endocrinology, primary care, cardiology, bariatric medicine, plastic surgery, orthopedics, and even urology. This expansion is accompanied by early data indicating clinically significant and sometimes unanticipated effects on patient management, surgical decision-making, and population health outcomes. This underscores the urgent need for rigorous, multidisciplinary investigation into the benefits, limitations, and public health ramifications of these agents.This Research Topic aims to create a collaborative forum for scholars, clinicians, policymakers, and health system leaders to critically examine the efficacy, safety, accessibility, and public health consequences of weight loss drugs. The objective is to advance the scientific evidence base but also to shape public policy and equitable implementation, maximizing benefit at both individual and population levels, while minimizing risk and promoting equitable access.We welcome submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:o Comparative effectiveness and long-term safety of GLP-1 agonists versus other weight loss therapieso Nutritional and metabolic consequences of rapid weight reduction pharmacotherapyo Access and equity analysis in populations with differing socioeconomic status or health coverageo Implications for perioperative care and clinical outcomes across medical specialties (including but not limited to surgery, cardiology, endocrinology, reproductive medicine, and gastroenterology)o Health economic evaluation of weight loss pharmacotherapy on healthcare budgets and prioritieso Weight loss drugs, stigma, and shifts in public perception of obesityo Implementation barriers and facilitators in community and primary care settingso Policy development for safe and equitable scaling of anti-obesity medicationso Mental health and body image outcomes Topic editors: Or Friedman, Arnon Afek Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79688/glp-1-drugs-efficacy-safety-and-equity