GLP-1s linked to nutritional deficiencies in children
Children prescribed GLP-1 medications for weight loss, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes are at risk for nutritional deficiencies—diagnosed in nearly one in six patients (16.8%) within the first year—according to a new study published in the journal Childhood Obesity. Vitamin D deficiency was the most common, identified in 12.4% of children within one year of GLP-1 treatment.
A study published in Childhood Obesity has found that children prescribed GLP-1 medications for weight loss, prediabetes, or type 2 diabetes are at risk of developing nutritional deficiencies within the first year of treatment. Vitamin D deficiency was the most common, affecting 12.4% of patients within a year. The research, led by senior author Justin Ryder, Ph.D., emphasizes the need for proactive nutritional monitoring during adolescence, a period of rapid growth and pubertal development.
According to the study, only 5% of patients received nutritional counseling within 30 days of starting treatment, and fewer than 25% received such counseling within six months. Ryder and colleagues analyzed national administrative claims data from 2017 to 2022, covering over 100 million patients, to identify 2,031 GLP-1 users aged 10-17 without prior nutritional deficiencies.
The most commonly prescribed GLP-1 medications were liraglutide, dulaglutide, and semaglutide. Ryder stresses that understanding these risks can help prevent harm to children undergoing GLP-1 treatment during a critical life stage.
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