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Genes Help Explain Who Loses Weight and Who Gets Nausea on GLP-1 Drugs

The findings show genetics accounts for only a small share of response to these hormone‑mimicking weight‑loss drugs.

Overview

  • Nature published the 23andMe-led study Wednesday, reporting links between common variants and how people respond to GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide and tirzepatide.
  • People carrying the GLP1R variant rs10305420 lost about 0.76 kilograms more per copy over roughly eight months of treatment.
  • The GIPR variant rs1800437 was tied to higher rates of nausea and vomiting in tirzepatide users and showed no such link with semaglutide.
  • Researchers built prediction models that combine genetics with factors like age, sex, drug type, dose, and time on treatment and tested them in an electronic health-record dataset.
  • Experts say the genetic effects are modest and call for replication in more diverse populations and prospective studies before changing prescribing, as 23andMe rolls out a Total Health report based on the results.