In a recent study published in the journal Communications Medicine , researchers in the United States of America (US) used large language models (LLMs) to analyze over 391,000 unique discussions on Reddit, a social media platform, related to glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs). The study revealed high interest in GLP-1 RAs, with discussions focusing on weight loss experiences, side effects, access issues, and positive psychological benefits, with mostly neutral-to-positive sentiment. Study: Using large language models to assess public perceptions around glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists on social media .
Image Credit: Caroline Ruda/ Shutterstock More than 38% of the world’s population is overweight or obese, projected to reach 51% by 2035. Obesity is known to increase the risk of cardiometabolic diseases and all-cause mortality significantly. GLP-1 RAs are drugs that imitate the function of natural GLP-1, a hormone in the intestine that controls glucose metabolism and feelings of fullness.
While this class of drugs was initially approved for type 2 diabetes, it has recently gained global attention for cardiovascular risk reduction and weight loss in patients with obesity, irrespective of the presence of diabetes. However, public views on GLP-1 RAs, crucial for treatment uptake and adherence, have not been thoroughly explored. Social media platforms like Reddit offer anonymized public conversations on health topics, revealing real-world expe.