Which Glp-1 Meds Have The Most Side Effects? Study Of 60,000 Facebook Posts Gives Answers

A heavy dive into nationalist Facebook posts uncovers nan real-world broadside effect patterns of GLP-1 medications, revealing what users really acquisition extracurricular of objective trials.

Study: Harnessing Facebook to Investigate Real-World Mentions of Adverse Events of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonist (GLP-1 RA) Medications: Observational Study of Facebook Posts From 2022 to 2024. Image Credit: zimmytws / Shutterstock

In a caller article published successful nan journal JMIR Infodemiology, researchers analyzed nationalist Facebook posts to analyse nationalist chat of adverse effects associated pinch glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs).

They identified gastrointestinal (GI) issues, peculiarly vomiting and nausea, arsenic nan astir communal broadside effects for astir GLP-1 RAs, while headache and associated symptom were astir often discussed successful posts astir tirzepatide. Mental wellness concerns, specified arsenic worry and depression, were coming but little often mentioned (<1% of posts) compared to GI symptoms, pinch slump noted successful up to 1.57% of Wegovy posts.

Background

GLP-1 RAs, specified arsenic tirzepatide and semaglutide, person go wide utilized to dainty obesity and type 2 diabetes. With astir 38 cardinal adults successful nan U.S. living pinch diabetes and complete 100 cardinal affected by obesity, nan rising request for these narcotics has caused world shortages.

Due to inadequate security coverage, constricted availability, and precocious costs, galore group are turning to compounded GLP-1 RAs, which are often cheaper and easier to entree but deficiency standardized efficacy, safety, and dosage information, and their information floor plan is mostly unknown.

GLP-1 RAs activity by enhancing insulin release, suppressing glucagon, and slowing gastric emptying, which leads to little humor glucose levels and weight loss. However, these mechanisms whitethorn besides origin important musculus loss, gastrointestinal issues, and location is imaginable for malnutrition and nonaccomplishment of thin assemblage wide successful immoderate individuals.

Adverse events specified arsenic intelligence wellness concerns for illustration slump and anxiety, nausea, and vomiting person been reported. Traditional objective tests often miss uncommon aliases semipermanent broadside effects owed to constricted follow-up and subordinate diversity.

About nan Study

In this study, researchers collected nationalist Facebook posts from U.S.-based users betwixt 2022 and 2024 that mentioned GLP-1 RA medications, limiting their hunt to posts successful English and pages administered successful nan U.S., and excluding posts from Facebook groups.

They focused connected posts discussing adverse events, specifically antagonistic psychological and beingness symptoms, linked to these medications. Adverse arena categories were drawn from anterior literature, objective knowledge, and a supplier side-effect database, covering a wide scope of symptoms from gastrointestinal to intelligence wellness issues. Duplicate posts were removed to guarantee accuracy.

For analysis, researchers calculated nan wave pinch which circumstantial broadside effects were mentioned astir each medicine and complete time. They besides tracked really adverse arena mentions fluctuated during cardinal events, including nan FDA support of Wegovy for pediatric usage successful December 2022, Oprah Winfrey's nationalist endorsement successful December 2023, and nan description of Medicare sum for weight nonaccomplishment medications successful March 2024.

The co-occurrence of symptoms was examined done a cluster analysis, which mapped connections betwixt broadside effects often mentioned together, helping to place communal denotation groupings.

Key Findings

Researchers analyzed 59,293 unsocial nationalist Facebook posts discussing GLP-1 RA medications. About 14% of posts referenced adverse events. General GI symptoms were nan astir often mentioned broadside effects. Nausea and vomiting were besides common, appearing successful 2–3% of posts for galore drugs. For tirzepatide, headache and associated symptom were much commonly mentioned than GI symptoms.

Mental wellness concerns for illustration worry and slump were coming crossed each medications, though astatine little frequencies (mainly nether 1%), pinch slump mentioned successful 1.57% of Wegovy posts. Other notable broadside effects included fatigue, associated pain, hairsbreadth loss, and headaches, peculiarly pinch narcotics specified arsenic tirzepatide.

Temporal trends revealed that discussions of adverse events accrued importantly aft notable events, including authorities approvals, viral media coverage, personage endorsements, and nan description of Medicare sum for weight nonaccomplishment medications. The write-up besides captures that, though nan number of adverse arena mentions roseate complete time, nan proportionality of posts focusing connected broadside effects declined, reflecting a displacement successful online conversations toward different aspects of these drugs.

A co-occurrence web study revealed 3 clusters of often co-mentioned symptoms. Cluster 1 included allergies, anxiety, depression, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, fatigue, fever, hypertension, indigestion, insomnia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, hives, swelling, restlessness, and seizures; Cluster 2 comprised constipation, dehydration, headache, diarrhea, dizziness, hypoglycemia, sweating, and jaundice; Cluster 3 included GI symptoms specified arsenic nausea, pancreatitis, rash, and vomiting.

Strong connections were observed betwixt vomiting and nausea, pancreatitis and GI distress, and slump and anxiety, highlighting patterns of denotation overlap among users.

Conclusions

This study analyzed nationalist Facebook posts to analyse nationalist chat of adverse events associated pinch GLP-1 RAs from 2022 to 2024. GI issues, peculiarly vomiting and nausea, were nan astir often mentioned broadside effects. Mental wellness concerns, including worry and depression, particularly pinch semaglutide, were besides notable but occurred little often than GI symptoms, pinch Wegovy showing nan highest slump mention rate. Social media activity spiked pursuing personage endorsements, regulatory approvals, nan FDA pediatric approval, and media attention, revealing really outer events power nationalist discourse. Co-occurring denotation clusters emerged, pinch Cluster 1 encompassing a operation of somatic and psychological symptoms (such arsenic allergies, anxiety, and hypertension), Cluster 2 encompassing neuromuscular and metabolic symptoms (such arsenic dehydration, headache, and hypoglycemia), and Cluster 3 focusing connected gastrointestinal distress.

Strengths of this study see its broad, real-world sample and its expertise to seizure underrepresented voices that are not often seen successful objective trials. However, limitations impact chartless personification demographics, reliance connected self-reported data, and nan inability to corroborate medicine long aliases dosage. Findings bespeak self-reported symptoms from societal media users, not confirmed objective diagnoses.

Social media insights complement accepted investigation by surfacing imaginable concerns early. As nan usage of GLP-1 RA expands, ongoing monitoring of broadside effects, particularly those that are underrecognized successful objective settings, is basal for a amended knowing of diligent experiences and guiding early studies.