This Genetic Variant Predicts Your GLP-1 Success Rate

Video Description

27,000 people. One massive genetic database. And a brand new paper that just answered one of the biggest questions in obesity medicine: why do GLP-1 medicines work so differently from person to person? Dr. Spencer and Dr. Karl sit down with Dr. Adam Auton, a geneticist from 23andMe, to break down a study that scanned the genomes of over 27,000 GLP-1 users and found something remarkable. There is a genetic variant in the GLP-1 receptor itself that predicts both how well the medication will work and how likely you are to experience side effects. And for people on tirzepatide, there is a second variant in the GIP receptor that can increase your risk of side effects up to 14 fold. They also get into what heritability actually means and why even doctors get it wrong, why genetics is important but not destiny, what the research might look like next including why some people regain all their weight after stopping GLP-1s while others do not, and how this moves us closer to a world of true precision medicine for obesity treatment. 0:00 – Intro and Meet Dr. Adam Otan from 23andMe 1:25 – Why 23andMe Got Interested in GLP-1 Research 2:38 – How the Study Was Set Up, 27,000 Users, Self-Report Surveys and Genome Data 5:10 – How Genome-Wide Association Studies Actually Work 7:20 – The GLP-1 Receptor Variant and What It Does to Drug Efficacy 8:23 – Same Variant That Increases Efficacy Also Increases Side Effects 9:50 – Does Nausea Actually Predict Weight Loss? The Debate 10:44 – Semaglutide vs Tirzepatide and the GIP Receptor Variant 12:10 – Why the GIP Receptor Acts as a Buffer on Side Effects 12:56 – Carrying Both Variants Could Mean 14 Fold Greater Side Effect Risk 13:49 – What Critics Get Wrong About Small Effect Sizes 14:52 – Other Factors That Predict GLP-1 Response, Sex, Diabetes Status and Dosage 15:45 – How This Information Could Be Used in Clinical Practice 16:12 – What Research Questions Are Next, Including Weight Regain After Stopping 18:36 – What Heritability Actually Means and Why People Get It Wrong 19:32 – Genetics Is Important But It Is Not Your Destiny 21:07 – Monogenic vs Polygenic Risk, Why There Is No One Gene for Obesity 22:50 – Final Thoughts and Where to Find This in 23andMe Total Health Products