GLP-1 medications themselves are not typically the direct cause of hair loss
But Balk, the NYU professor, compared the labeling trend to the low or 1000-calorie snack packs that were ubiquitous in the early 2000s amidst a horrific diet culture, noting, This is like a total marketing, money-grab by companies. A GLP-1 friendly pepperoni pizza may have more protein than a regular frozen pizza, but likely has zero nutrient value, Balk said
The links between gut microbiota and obesity and obesity related diseases
In both comparisons, adults taking GLP-1 drugs were associated with a significantly higher risk of hair loss, more specifically, 37 percent higher compared to SGLT-2 inhibitors and 68 percent higher than DPP-4 inhibitors
Structure and dynamics of semaglutide- and taspoglutide-bound GLP-1R-Gs complexes
PMCID: PMC10079081