Beneath the Surface: ‘Start low, go slow’ when prescribing GLP-1 therapies (Healio)

Physicians prescribing GLP-1 therapies are being urged to “start low and go slow” to minimize gastrointestinal side effects as these drugs spread across specialties, according to experts speaking with Healio. Obesity specialist Fatima Stanford, MD, emphasized that many patients achieve significant weight loss at the lowest doses, while nausea and constipation remain the most common adverse effects, often tied to rapid titration. As GLP-1 use expands beyond endocrinology into cardiology, gastroenterology and beyond, careful dosing and patient-specific management are becoming essential.