Proven uses of GLP-1s

Proven uses of GLP-1s are supported by large-scale clinical trials in humans. At least one GLP-1 drug has also received FDA approval for each of these health conditions.

Kidney disease

In a clinical trial with over 3,500 patients, researchers found that Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 drug semaglutide significantly reduced the risk of kidney complications in patients who had both type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Patients also experienced improvements in the severity of disease that were unrelated to changes in their body weight.

According to the researchers, the "mechanisms of kidney protection with semaglutide are likely to be multifactorial." The study was ultimately stopped early due to its strong findings. The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at a meeting of the European Renal Association in 2024.

In January 2025, FDA approved Ozempic, one of the brand names of semaglutide, to treat chronic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Heart disease

According to a November 2023 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, semaglutide reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events — including heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death — by roughly 20% in overweight or obese adults who had cardiovascular disease but not diabetes.

Of the 8,803 patients who took semaglutide, 6.5% experienced a primary cardiovascular end point, like a heart attack, compared to 8% of the 8,801 patients in the placebo group.

In March 2024, FDA approved semaglutide to treat cardiovascular disease in overweight or obese adults, a group that includes millions of Americans. A separate clinical trial also found that Eli Lilly's GLP-1 drug tirzepatide was able to lower the risk of serious heart-related problems and improve the overall health of obese patients who also had a type of heart failure called heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Liver disease

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) is a severe form of metabolic liver disease and was previously known as the progressive stage of fatty liver disease. The condition is associated with both obesity and cardiometabolic dysfunction.

In a 2025 study funded by Novo Nordisk and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that semaglutide significantly improved health outcomes for patients with MASH and liver fibrosis. Overall, 63.9% of patients on semaglutide saw improvement in liver inflammation without additional scarring compared to 34.3% of patients on a placebo.

A few smaller studies have also shown promising results with semaglutide on several indicators for this kind of liver disease. In a recent study focused on HIV patients, researchers found that liver fat decreased by 31% in patients who took semaglutide for six months.

In August 2025, FDA approved semaglutide to treat MASH in adults who have moderate to advanced liver scarring. The approval was made under the agency's accelerated pathway, which allows drugs for serious conditions to be approved more quickly based on evidence.

Sleep apnea

Being overweight or obese is one of the top risk factors of sleep apnea, a condition that causes people to stop breathing in their sleep and affects millions of U.S. adults. In two major clinical trials, tirzepatide was shown to improve symptoms of sleep apnea in obese patients. In the trials, patients who took tirzepatide had an average of 27.4 to 30.4 fewer sleep apnea events per hour after a year. In comparison, those on the placebo had an average of 4.8 to 6 fewer sleep apnea events per hour.

In December 2024, FDA approved Zepbound, one of the brand names of tirzepatide, to treat moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults.

Promising uses of GLP-1s

Promising uses of GLP-1s have been supported by multiple midsize clinical trials that have shown benefits or have a body of research showing mixed or inconsistent results.

Alzheimer's and dementia

According to a 2024 analysis of medical records of over 100 million U.S. patients, taking Ozempic was associated with a lower risk of cognitive problems. Another study, which was presented at the 2024 Alzheimer's Association International Conference, found that liraglutide, an older GLP-1 drug, was associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline and appeared to reduce shrinkage in key parts of the brain.

Another study that analyzed the health records of almost 2.5 million patients in the Veterans Affairs database found that people who were prescribed GLP-1s had a lower relative risk of developing dementia compared to those who were prescribed other medications for diabetes.

However, Novo Nordisk recently reported disappointing results in two large, randomized trials that tested semaglutide in patients with mild cognitive impairment or dementia. In the trials, there was no difference in cognitive decline in patients who took semaglutide and those who took a placebo after three years.

Although the results of the trials were disappointing, some researchers say that GLP-1s could be more effective at treating Alzheimer's and dementia if they are taken before symptoms develop. Currently, researchers are designing new studies to test this theory.

Addiction

GLP-1 drugs work by influencing GLP-1 receptors in the abdominal area, but there are also similar receptors in the brain, including in the reward pathways. This led scientists to wonder whether GLP-1s could also influence addictive behavior by interacting with dopamine activity in the brain.

In a large study of over 600,000 U.S. veterans with type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 use was associated with a 14% lower overall risk of developing alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, nicotine, and opioid use disorders. GLP-1 use was also associated with fewer drug-related ED visits, hospitalizations, overdoses, deaths, and suicidal behavior over three years among veterans with preexisting substance use disorders.

A separate study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that patients with alcohol use disorder drank less and had fewer cravings for alcohol and cigarettes over nine weeks when receiving a weekly injection of semaglutide.

Although no GLP-1 drug has been approved to treat addiction, some physicians are prescribing the drugs off-label to help reduce cravings for alcohol and illicit drugs.

Arthritis and inflammation

In an October 2024 study, researchers found that patients who were taking semaglutide experienced a decrease in pain from knee osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disorders. According to the researchers, it's not clear whether the decrease in pain was due to weight loss from the GLP-1 drugs or whether GLP-1s can directly impact inflammation in the joints.

A separate analysis of medical claims data, which was published in Obesity Science and Practice, suggested that taking semaglutide could reduce the risk of developing knee osteoporosis.

Small studies have also found that GLP-1s could help improve renal function, psoriasis, and fat around the heart — findings that suggest the drugs could regulate or reduce inflammation, though the mechanisms are still unclear.

Theoretical uses of GLP-1s

Theoretical uses of GLP-1s are primarily based on preclinical studies, observational analyses of large datasets, or small, early-stage clinical trials in humans.

Asthma

According to an April 2025 study with roughly 60,000 patients, patients who were taking GLP-1s had better control of their asthma symptoms. However, they did not have measurable improvements in their lung function. The study's authors suggested that GLP-1s could have anti-inflammatory effects that helped reduce symptom flare-up and improve patients' control of the disease.

Cancer

Currently, there are both potential benefits and risks of cancer associated with GLP-1s. For example, animal research led to a thyroid cancer warning on Ozempic's label, but it has so far not been reported in humans. Other studies have also suggested that GLP-1s could help reduce the risk of certain obesity-related cancers.

In a small study published in Obesity in May 2023, researchers suggested that semaglutide could enhance the activity of natural killer cells, a type of white blood cell that can stop cancer cells from multiplying and becoming tumors. In a separate study that examined electronic medical records from 10.2 million patients with type 2 diabetes, researchers found patients taking GLP-1s had a significantly lower risk of colon cancer.

Currently, there are dozens of clinical trials focused on GLP-1s and cancer in progress, including those on endometrial, breast, and prostate cancer.

COVID-19

In study of over 17,000 adults with obesity, researchers found that those taking GLP-1s had a 19% lower risk of death and fewer serious complications if they contracted COVID-19.

In a commentary, Jeremy Samuel Faust, an emergency physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, said the findings suggest that "semaglutide (and others like it) could have dramatically improved outcomes of a pandemic caused by a respiratory virus, of all things."

Fertility

In 2024, there were anecdotal reports of an "Ozempic baby boom," with a growing number of people reporting unplanned pregnancies while on GLP-1s.

According to health experts, being overweight or obese can negatively impact periods, ovulation, and the implantation of immature eggs. However, as patients lose weight, they may experience changes to their hormonal and insulin levels that increase their fertility, making it easier for them to get pregnant.

Some scientists are also researching whether GLP-1s could improve the quality of eggs and sperm independently of the weight-loss and diabetes benefits. Currently, there is some evidence that weight loss associated with semaglutide could help increase sperm count, concentration, and motility, but more research is still needed.

'Food noise'

Clinical trials of GLP-1s have consistently shown that the drugs help reduce appetite, cravings, and intrusive food thoughts. In addition to losing weight, patients taking semaglutide and tirzepatide have reported less hunger and reward-driven eating, which suggests that the medications can blunt appetite.

Smaller brain imaging studies have also found reduced activation in reward-related brain regions in response to high-calorie food cues among patients taking GLP-1s.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS is a hormone condition that affects millions of women worldwide and is linked to both reproductive and metabolic dysfunction.

In a 2023 study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, researchers found that low doses of semaglutide led to significant weight loss in almost 80% of obese patients who had PCOS and did not respond to previous treatments. Their menstrual cycles also normalized after taking the medication.

"Of course, other studies are needed, but these initial results look very promising," the researchers wrote. Currently, there are at least a dozen studies on GLP-1 use and women with PCOS and obesity in progress.

Advisory Board's weight-related resources

To help you address the growing use of weight-management drugs, Advisory Board offers several resources:

This  expert insight  outlines the five biggest questions about weight management drugs and their answers. Similarly, this  expert insight  addresses what headlines get wrong about weight management drugs and what healthcare leaders should know instead.

Radio Advisory's Rachel Woods has also covered GLP-1 drugs on the podcast, discussing the  potential future of these drugs, how they could help (or hurt) health systems' finances, and  what doctors really think about the medication.

Other useful resources include this  expert insight  on the five catalysts that will impact the future of obesity care and this  research  on four key elements of comprehensive obesity care. Our weight management and obesity care  resource library  can also help leaders understand the current care landscape, manage innovations, and prepare for transformations in care.