GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Beyond Weight Loss: Established Benefits and Unresolved Translational Questions From Cardiorenal Protection to Neuroprotection – What Remains Unknown?
Student Research in Translational Medicine,
Vol. 7 (2025),
1 March 2025
https://doi.org/10.22037/srtm.v7.52428
Abstract
GLP-1 receptor agonists have transformed the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes nd their therapeutic implications now extend well beyond endocrinology into cardiovascular and renal medicine, with growing interest in neurological disease. Yet the rapid translation from mechanism to widespread prescription has left several important gaps in our understanding. While large cardiovascular outcome trials have confirmed cardiorenal protection and substantial weight loss, and preclinical studies suggest neuroprotective actions, the pleiotropic nature of these agents raises a central question: do these benefits arise from direct receptor-mediated effects within individual organs, or indirectly through weight loss, improved insulin sensitivity, and broader metabolic remodeling? Here we outline the key translational unknowns that deserve priority investigation.
- Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
- Obesity
- Weight Loss
- Cardiovascular Diseases
- Renal Insufficiency, Chronic
- Neuroprotective Agents
- Perioperative Period
- Gastric Emptying
- Receptors, Glucagon-Like Peptide-1
- Translational Research, Biomedical
How to Cite
References
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