Welcome to your GLP-1 guide
Starting a new medication can feel overwhelming, but you don't have to navigate it alone. This guide was created to give you everything you need to feel informed and confident on your GLP-1 journey.
Dr Ashwin Sharma
Medical Doctor
Contents
Your treatment
The history of GLP-1s
While many people think of medications like Wegovy and Mounjaro as new, the class of medication that they belong to were originally developed as a type 2 diabetes treatment. The first medication was FDA-approved in 2005 and licensed for use in the UK in 2007. Researchers discovered that these drugs not only helped regulate blood sugar but also led to significant weight loss. Over time, newer GLP-1 treatments like liraglutide (Saxenda) and semaglutide (Wegovy) were specifically approved for obesity management.
How Wegovy works
Wegovy is a GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist, which works by mimicking the naturally occurring GLP-1 gut hormone in your body that is released after you eat. This helps stabilise your blood sugar levels. GLP-1s also reduce your appetite and the rate that food leaves your stomach, which helps increase feelings of fullness and reduce your food intake.
In clinical trials, patients taking semaglutide (the active ingredient in Wegovy) experienced weight loss of 14.9% in 68 weeks.
How Mounjaro works
Mounjaro is a dual GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glugacon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist. It works by mimicking the naturally occurring GLP-1 and GIP hormones in your body. These are hormones that are released from your gut after you eat to trigger insulin production to help stabilise your blood sugar levels. They also reduce your appetite and the rate that food leaves your stomach, which helps increase feelings of fullness and reduce your food intake.
This means that Mounjaro mimics two incretin hormones instead of just one. GIP also enhances insulin secretion after you eat and reduces appetite, which increases the effectiveness of Mounjaro.
In clinical trials, patients taking tirzepatide (the active ingredient in Mounjaro) experienced weight loss of 20.9% after 72 weeks of treatment.
How it impacts your body
GLP-1s work in the body by affecting multiple organs. They help to regulate appetite, metabolism, and fat storage.
This means that Mounjaro mimics two incretin hormones instead of just one. GIP also enhances insulin secretion after you eat and reduces appetite, which increases the effectiveness of Mounjaro.
Appetite suppression: Your treatment activates receptors in parts of the brain called the hypothalamus and brainstem to reduce your appetite and increase feelings of fullness. It also works on the dopamine dependent systems in the brain, reducing the desire to snack by reducing the rewarding effects.
This helps to reduce “food noise” which is an informal term which describes the feeling of constant food-focused thoughts, such as what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat.
Slows digestion: Your medication slows down the rate at which food leaves your stomach, helping you stay fuller for longer.
Blood sugar regulation: After eating, your treatment enhances insulin secretion from your pancreas, helping to control blood sugar levels. Mounjaro also increases insulin sensitivity, which means your cells can respond more effectively to insulin. When cells respond effectively to insulin, they efficiently take up glucose from the bloodstream and help to keep blood sugar levels within a healthy range to reduce cravings.