[HN Gopher] If GLP-1 Drugs Are Good for Everything, Should We Al...
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       If GLP-1 Drugs Are Good for Everything, Should We All Be on Them?
        
       Author : gamechangr
       Score  : 16 points
       Date   : 2025-08-07 21:37 UTC (1 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.derekthompson.org)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.derekthompson.org)
        
       | falcor84 wrote:
       | That was really well written, and I love how it arrived at the
       | hopeful:
       | 
       | > If the steam engine was the little machine that accidentally
       | explained the universe, the GLP-1 hormone may one day be regarded
       | as the peptide that accidentally decoded the body, the mind, and
       | basis of human health.
        
       | andsoitis wrote:
       | > Some people think of Science, with a capital-"S", as the
       | official declaration of eternal truths. I prefer to think of
       | science, with a lower-case "s", as a messy scrabble toward half-
       | truths that are often overturned with further research.
       | 
       | Yes!
       | 
       | It is a process: systematic study of the natural world through
       | observation, experimentation, and evidence-based reasoning.
       | 
       | It is a world view: a way humans try to understand how things
       | work.
       | 
       | It is not a set of immutable facts etched into a stone tablet
       | somewhere in the cosmos waiting to be decoded.
        
       | andsoitis wrote:
       | > 3. So, should we all be on GLP-1s?
       | 
       | > No. Certainly not now. While I'm excited about the future of
       | these drugs' development, the side effect profile isn't worth the
       | risk for otherwise healthy patients. The anti-inflammation and
       | cognitive benefits of the drugs still come with weight-loss
       | effects that many Americans shouldn't accept.
       | 
       | Another way to fight inflammation is taking Metformin, popular in
       | longevity circles.
        
       | classichasclass wrote:
       | I remember the first patient I put on exenatide, years ago. She
       | was a diabetic that was very brittle and we were having trouble
       | managing it, and I said it was worth a try and she agreed. "It
       | might even cause a bit of weight loss, which I'm sure you won't
       | object to," I said, which we had a good laugh over.
       | 
       | She lost 10 pounds and a whole point off her A1c. And that was
       | just the first of the drug class. She was very pleased with it.
       | 
       | Also, pedantic nitpick: the anglerfish in the photo is female.
        
       | BryantD wrote:
       | Very good article.
       | 
       | As someone who is currently on GLP-1 drugs, I will say that if I
       | didn't need to be on them to control my diabetes, I would
       | seriously consider stopping. I am undoubtedly healthier and have
       | lost substantial weight, but the effects on my quality of life
       | are substantial -- I simply don't enjoy food right now. This is
       | in part psychological, because what I used to enjoy was the
       | psychological effect of eating, but not completely. I hope this
       | will ease out over time and if it doesn't, well, I'll cope.
       | 
       | I'm still very interested in the ongoing research.
        
       | ivape wrote:
       | Isn't it $200/mo vanity drug for regular people (no medical
       | reason for it)?. You can up with bullshit to get it, but even
       | then it's expensive.
        
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