GLP-1 tachyphylaxis
What a GLP-1 receptor agonist actually does: which receptors it reaches, how it slows gastric emptying, and the satiety pathway it runs through.
Definition
Weight loss flattening at a stable dose as the drug's effect wears down — pharmacological tolerance. Documented in rodent models and clinically suspected in the roughly 20% of long-term users who stall short of their goal while still dosing. Proposed mechanism is receptor downregulation or β-arrestin desensitization. ⚠ Microdosing protocols and drug holidays get sold as the fix; no randomized data support that.
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GLP Watchdog writes these definitions from FDA labels and peer-reviewed PubMed literature. Not one of them is an AI-generated summary.
Other terms under Mechanism
- GLP-1 receptor
- GIP receptor
- Dual agonist
- Gastric emptying
- Food noise
- Triple agonist
- Amylin
- Non-peptide GLP-1 agonist
- A1C (glycated hemoglobin)
- MASH / MASLD
- TBWL (Total Body Weight Loss)
- C-peptide
- eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate)
- Visceral adipose tissue (VAT)
- AHI (apnea-hypopnea index)
- SNAC (oral semaglutide absorption enhancer)
Where the evidence lives
- Top semaglutide trial reading list
- The full GLP-1 glossary (149 terms, 8 categories)
- Research articles — written from primary sources
- Tools and calculators
- Compare GLP-1 telehealth providers