Why GLP-1 Users Need One-on-One Support?

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“Yes, lifestyle interventions like personalized menus help to boost medication adherence for better long-term results.”

Perspectives from GLP-1 users and industry experts suggest that working one-on-one with a weight loss specialist can actually make a difference that trying to go it alone may not be able to match. At MRC Conway, our experienced team and professional providers will help you set goals to overcome previous failed attempts at reaching your target weight by creating a unique level of personalized support. That’s because about three-out-of-four of GLP-1 users who were asked said they would have liked to have more resources and tools to support their medical weight loss journey.

In fact, recent research from Stanford Medicine concluded that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists may not work well for about ten percent of the general population due to genetic variances. Although it is currently unclear how biologically effective the naturally-produced GLP-1 hormone is in regulating weight loss, both men and women may be subject to this mysterious phenomenon that researchers refer to as “GLP-1 resistance”. In animal and human trials, participants who had such variants were unable to lower blood sugar levels as effectively.

Can participants with GLP-1 resistance still reap the benefits?

At this time, the genetic mechanisms that cause GLP-1 resistance remain unresolved. But over the past ten years, the Stanford team has collaborated with researchers around the world to review participant’s responses to glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists between carriers of a specific gene and non-carriers. Although subjects with the genetic variant did not respond differently to common diabetes drugs (metformin), about 75% of carriers failed to lower their HbA1c to target levels after six-months of use. On the other hand, the two studies analyzed at Stanford showed no difference in total weight loss between the two.

Can one-on-one coaching help to prevent GLP-1 weight regain?

Yes, both men and women who qualify to use GLP-1 weight loss medications can benefit from one-on-one coaching designed to help them establish permanent lifestyle changes that can aid in preventing weight regain once the prescriptive medication is stopped or long-term dosages are reduced. In addition, having access to a one-on-one weight loss coach that is experienced in overcoming common barriers can help improve medical adherence. After all, about 50% of users stop treatment within the first four months due to gastrointestinal side effects, a lack of sustainable results, or high-cost of GLP-1 medications.

Do prescriptive GLP-1 receptor agonists target fat loss?

No, just like other methods designed to promote significant weight loss, about 25% to 40% of the weight lost can be lean muscle tissue if left totally unmitigated. But, the good news is that GLP-1 RAs will promote fat loss, including harder-to-shed visceral fat stored around abdominal organs. After all, glucagon-like peptide-1 naturally reduces food chatter to enhance feelings of fullness sooner and reduce the overall calorie intake. But, lean mass loss is inevitable as rapid weight loss leads to a smaller body that requires less muscle to function properly. Adding resistance training and following a protein-forward diet helps reverse muscle loss.

Do GLP-1 RAs have a role as a cancer therapeutic?

Due in part to the widespread use of these latest weight loss drugs, GLP-1 RAs  may have an ongoing therapeutic role for intervention of obesity-related cancers. After all, metabolic insulin disturbances, systemic inflammation, and excess fat storage are linked to both tumor progression and recurrence of obesity-related malignancies, particularly in postmenopausal breast and endometrial cancers. So, by reducing circulating insulin and glucose levels, lowering inflammation, and promoting sustainable weight loss, GLP-1 RAs may also have a greater role for chemoprevention.

How Do Various GLP-1 Medications Work?

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists do not cause the body to release its own version of the natural hormone. Instead, the synthetic compound directly binds to and activates the receptors that slow the gastric emptying of food into the digestive tract to increase feelings of fullness (satiety) by regulating blood sugar levels. The body’s natural incretin hormone is released in the small intestine about 10 to 15 minutes after food intake, but it breaks down extremely quickly in the blood stream due to a half-life of only minutes. Man-made receptor agonists, on the other hand, resist rapid degradation and remain active for much longer.

Although originally developed to reduce food intake, appetite and hunger through its satiety effect, GLP-1 agonists can help manage blood sugar spikes and crashes by triggering the release of insulin and blocking glucagon secretion from the liver. Researchers were pleasantly surprised when improvements to these metabolic processes during early clinical trials for managing type 2 diabetes resulted in significant amounts of weight loss as a primary side effect. After additional clinical observations supported the earlier findings, the FDA approved key GLP-1 RAs for treating obesity and overweight along with other weight-related health concerns.

Liraglutide was the first glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists specifically approved for chronic weight management (and type 2 diabetes) over a dozen years ago. It’s big sister, semaglutide, gained approval five years ago and has become one of the most widely prescribed options for weight-loss  with oral versions recently approved as a daily pill versus a weekly injection. Tirzepatide is unique in that it is the first dual-action incretin mimetic that combines GLP-1 with glucose-dependent insulinotropic-polypeptide (GIP) for a compounded hormonal effect that leads to greater weight reduction for some people.

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In general, the most effective treatment plans for chronic weight management are multifactorial and both surgical and pharmaceutical interventions should include support mechanisms to help patients make the transition from where their journey begins to reaching their target goals. That’s because shedding unwanted pounds quickly and without making important behavioral adjustments typically results in weight regain very soon after metabolic surgery or after medications are stopped. In addition, differing GLP-1 formulations appear to work differently for some people. At Metabolic Research Center Conway, our goal is to provide the one-on-one support needed to create a customized program that preserves crucial muscle mass, limits the common side effects of using a GLP-1, and produces the changes your body needs for long-term weight control.