GLP-1 Medications Linked to Nutritional Deficiencies in Children and Young People, Study Finds
Key Takeaways:
- Nearly one in six children and young people (16.8%) prescribed GLP-1 medications for weight loss, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes were diagnosed with a nutritional deficiency within the first year of treatment, with vitamin D deficiency the most common (12.4%).
- Only 5% of patients received nutritional counselling within 30 days of starting a GLP-1 medication, and fewer than 25% received it within six months.
- Researchers are calling for proactive nutritional management from the outset of GLP-1 treatment in children, rather than waiting until a deficiency is diagnosed.
Nutritional risks during a critical stage of development
Children and young people prescribed GLP-1 medications for weight loss, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes are at risk of developing nutritional deficiencies, according to new research from scientists at Northwestern University and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. The study found that nutritional deficiencies were diagnosed in nearly one in six patients (16.8%) within the first year of treatment.
Vitamin D deficiency was the most frequently identified, affecting 12.4% of children within one year of starting GLP-1 treatment.
The findings were recently published in the journal Childhood Obesity, in a study titled “Nutritional Deficiencies, Complications, and Nutrition Therapy/Counseling in Pediatric Patients Using GLP-1 Receptor Agonists.”
Why adolescence matters
The study’s senior author, Justin Ryder, associate professor of surgery and paediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and vice chair of research for the department of surgery at Lurie Children’s, emphasised the importance of understanding these risks as GLP-1 use in younger patients grows.
“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 Ryder. “Nutrients such as vitamin D, iron and calcium are of particular concern during adolescence, when deficiencies may have lasting implications for skeletal health and overall development.”
A significant gap in nutritional support
Despite these risks, the research revealed that very few children received nutritional support after beginning treatment.
“Nutritional support needs to play a critical role once treatment with a GLP-1 medication is initiated,” he said. “In our study, however, we found that only 5% of patients received nutritional counseling within 30 days of GLP-1 treatment and less than 25% received nutritional counseling within 6 months.”
The gap highlights the need for healthcare professionals working with children and young people living with obesity to consider nutrition as an integral part of care from the moment treatment begins. Clinicians looking to strengthen their understanding in this area may find structured training, such as The College of Contemporary Health’s Childhood Obesity Essentials course, a valuable way to build confidence in supporting this patient group.
How the study was conducted
The researchers analysed national administrative claims data from 2017 to 2022, covering more than 100 million patients. From this dataset, they identified 2,031 young people aged 10–17 years who were using GLP-1 medications, met continuous enrolment criteria and had no prior diagnosis of a nutritional deficiency.
Within this sample, the most commonly prescribed GLP-1 medications were:
- Liraglutide (78.6%)
- Dulaglutide (10.4%)
- Semaglutide (9.1%)
A call for proactive nutritional management
The research team hopes the findings will encourage a shift towards preventive nutritional care for children and young people receiving GLP-1 treatment.
“We hope that our study findings bring much-needed recognition to the importance of proactive nutritional management when GLP-1s are prescribed to children, as opposed to waiting until a nutritional deficiency is diagnosed,” Ryder said. “Knowing the risks, we are in a much better position to prevent harm to children treated with GLP-1s during a pivotal period in their lives.”
Funding for the study was provided by Abbott.
CCH insight
As GLP-1 medications become more widely used in younger patients, healthcare professionals need the knowledge and skills to support children and young people living with obesity safely and holistically, including their nutritional needs during growth and development. Our Childhood Obesity Essentials CPD course is designed to help clinicians deliver confident, evidence-informed care for this patient group.
Explore Childhood Obesity Essentials and enrol today →
Source: Northwestern University
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