Approved uses · FDA-approved
What is type 2 diabetes?
Insulin is the signal that tells your cells to take sugar out of your blood and use it. In type 2 diabetes your cells stop responding to that signal properly, so your pancreas makes more insulin to get the same result. That stage is called insulin resistance, and it can go on for years without symptoms. Diabetes begins when the pancreas can no longer keep up and blood sugar starts to rise, which is usually the point at which someone is diagnosed.
How GLP-1 medications work for type 2 diabetes
GLP-1 is a hormone your gut already releases when you eat, and these medications are longer-lasting versions of it. The mechanism is well described. Insulin is released only when blood sugar is high, which is why these medications carry a low risk of hypoglycemia used on their own. Glucagon, the hormone that tells your liver to release stored sugar, is suppressed after a meal. The stomach also empties more slowly, so sugar arrives in the blood gradually instead of all at once.
One thing worth separating out: insulin resistance in the body and insulin signaling in the brain are studied as different things. A claim about one is not automatically a claim about the other.
Work through your own numbers
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Other approved uses
Obesity and Weight, Heart Disease, Sleep Apnea, Fatty Liver Disease, Chronic Kidney Disease.
Approval is specific to individual products, so a use listed here does not mean every GLP-1 medication carries it. Compare the medications to see how they differ, and take the question to your prescriber.