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Children taking GLP-1 medications for weight loss, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes may face an increased risk of nutritional deficiencies, a new study has found.
The study, published in Childhood Obesity, found that 16.8% of young patients developed a diagnosed nutritional deficiency within the first year after starting GLP-1 treatment. Vitamin D deficiency was the most common, affecting 12.4% of patients.
Researchers analysed national administrative claims data covering more than 100 million patients from 2017 to 2022. They identified 2,031 children aged 10 to 17 who had received GLP-1 medications, met continuous-enrollment requirements and had no prior diagnosis of nutritional deficiency.
Liraglutide, sold under the brand names Victoza and Saxenda, accounted for 78.6% of the prescriptions. Dulaglutide (Trulicity) accounted for 10.4%, while semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) made up 9.1%.
The researchers said the findings are particularly important because childhood and adolescence are periods of rapid growth and development, when nutrients such as vitamin D, iron and calcium are essential for bone health and overall development.
“As appropriate pediatric use of GLP-1s becomes more widespread, we need to understand the risks during periods of rapid growth and pubertal development,” said senior author Justin Ryder, vice chair of research in the Department of Surgery at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and associate professor of surgery and pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
GLP-1 medications can reduce appetite and food intake, potentially making it harder for some children to obtain sufficient nutrients, researchers said.
The study also found limited use of nutritional counselling. Only 5% of patients received nutritional counselling within 30 days of starting GLP-1 treatment, while fewer than 25% received such counselling within six months.
“Nutritional support needs to play a critical role once treatment with a GLP-1 medication is initiated,” Ryder said.
The researchers called for nutritional assessment and counselling to begin alongside GLP-1 treatment rather than waiting until a deficiency is diagnosed.
They said proactive nutritional management could help reduce potential risks for children taking the medications during a crucial stage of physical development.