Subject: Re: Big data: shingles vaccine lowers dementia risk
I have noticed, with a combination of amusement and disgust, how GLP-1s have been touted for a wide range of maladies.

Agree - I think we're seeing two things at work:

1. People underestimate just how many health improvements can result from substantial weight loss, regardless of whether that weight loss comes from diet, exercise, bariatric surgery, or a GLP-1 medication.

2. There's a degree of confirmation bias. People who are taking GLP-1s are naturally more likely to notice, share, and eagerly embrace studies suggesting additional benefits, which can sometimes make the evidence appear stronger or more conclusive in the media than it actually is.

That's not to say GLP-1s don't have positive effects beyond weight loss. It's too early to draw definitive conclusions, and it may ultimately turn out that they do. However, I think many discussions fail to adequately separate the effects of the medication itself from the effects of the weight loss it produces.