In this episode of The Dana Parish Podcast, I sit down with one of TIME100's Most Influential Health leaders, Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly. He's a renowned nephrologist/ epidemiologist & researcher at Wash U, and today we dive into his groundbreaking new GLP-1 study, published in NATURE, where unexpected benefits and side effects were discovered.

This is the largest GLP-1 study to date, encompassing over 215,000 patients, 4 years, and 2 million controls. We cover:

• How GLP-1 medications work: mechanisms affecting weight loss, inflammation, and neurocognitive health.

• Unexpected benefits: Reduced risks of Alzheimer's, substance use disorders, seizures, and infectious diseases.

• Side effects & controversies: GI issues like gastroparesis, pancreatitis, need for longer-term study, and the debate over dependency.

• Micro-dosing: The dose makes the poison

• Multisystemic Benefits: A possible treatment for Long Covid?

• Obesity: The Mother of All Ills

• America is SO Unhealthy: The role of ultra-processed food and how GLP-1s could transform public health.

• The affordability crisis: Why high costs and limited access are preventing widespread benefits.

Dr. Al-Aly doesn't shy away from discussing the polarizing nature of GLP-1 medications, and addresses the controversies and concerns surrounding these drugs.

Don't miss this fascinating discussion that could reshape how we handle chronic disease treatment and prevention.

💬 Join the conversation! What are your thoughts on GLP-1 medications & our discussion? Share your insights in the comments below. View the study here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03412-w

Time Markers: 0:00 - Introduction 0:34 - Overview of Dr. Al-Aly's landmark study 1:07 - GLP-1 benefits: Beyond weight loss and diabetes 4:00 - Side effects: GI issues, pancreatitis, and more 8:00 - Neuropsychiatric benefits: Reducing cravings and substance use 12:00 - The obesity epidemic: Food quality and prevention 16:00 - GLP-1s and long COVID research 22:00 - Impact on dementia and Alzheimer's disease 30:00 - Microdosing GLP-1: Anecdotal evidence and patient experiences 33:00 - Affordability and accessibility challenges 40:00 - Skeletal muscle loss: How to preserve muscle during weight loss 44:00 - Fatty liver disease and GLP-1's potential impact 46:00 - Can GLP-1 replace other medications? 48:00 - Long-term dependency and the future of GLP-1s 52:00 - Prevention vs. treatment: Striking the right balance 55:00 - Reflections on the obesity epidemic and solutions

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