Concerns Over GLP-1 Medications in Youth
There’s an increasing trend among children and teens using GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, but this comes with certain risks. Recent studies indicate that some young users are experiencing nutritional deficiencies after starting these drugs.
Researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, among others, looked into the medical records of young patients who began treatment with a GLP-1. They discovered that nearly one in six of these individuals were diagnosed with a deficiency. This suggests that healthcare providers should closely monitor the nutritional health of these children, according to the researchers.
“Nutritional deficiencies present a significant and often overlooked risk for pediatric patients undergoing GLP-1RA therapy,” the authors noted in their recent publication in the journal Childhood Obesity.
The Issue of Childhood Obesity
Childhood obesity is a pressing concern, with about 22% of adolescents aged 12 to 19 classified as obese, according to the latest statistics from the CDC. The figures are similarly high for younger children, with 21% of those aged 6 to 11 falling into the obese category.
GLP-1 medications like semaglutide (found in Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (available as Mounjaro and Zepbound) have proven effective for managing obesity and type 2 diabetes in children. Yet, there remains a considerable amount we don’t fully understand about these drugs’ effects on younger populations.
In this study, researchers analyzed claims data from a significant database of patients. Between 2017 and 2022, they identified around 2,000 children aged 10 to 17 who began using a GLP-1 without any previously recorded deficiencies. Within a year, about 17% of these children were found to have developed a deficiency or a related complication, such as anemia. The most frequently identified issue was vitamin D deficiency, affecting 12% of the group, followed by nutritional anemia at 1.55% and iron-deficiency anemia at 1.44%.
Key Takeaways
This research is observational, meaning it doesn’t definitively establish that the use of GLP-1 medications caused these deficiencies in the children studied. The timeframe also predates the more widespread use of these drugs in pediatric cases.
However, prior studies indicate that intentional weight loss, whether fast or gradual, can increase the risk of nutritional deficiencies. Additional research has linked GLP-1 use to various nutrition-related issues, including potentially serious health conditions stemming from deficiencies, though these cases are rare.
While the exact reasons behind the nutritional problems in kids using GLP-1s remain unclear, the researchers highlighted possible shortfalls in the care these patients received. Notably, only about 5% of individuals in the study were offered dietary counseling within the first month of starting a GLP-1, and just a quarter received such counseling within six months.
“Our findings aim to stress the crucial need for proactive nutritional management when children are prescribed GLP-1s, instead of waiting for deficiencies to arise,” said Justin Ryder, a co-author and associate professor at Northwestern University. “Understanding the associated risks puts us in a better position to avert harm among children undergoing GLP-1 treatment during such a crucial stage of their development.”
Interestingly, the American Academy of Pediatrics started endorsing GLP-1 therapy for childhood obesity in 2023, underscoring the importance of combining nutritional support with any pharmacological interventions.
