A SOCIAL MEDIA LISTENING ANALYSIS OF PERCEIVED HEALTH IMPROVEMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH GLUCAGON-LIKE PEPTIDE-1 (GLP-1) USE BEYOND WEIGHT-LOSS AND DIABETES-FOCUSED COMMUNITIES
Author(s)
Pippa Brown, MA1, Marjorie Jacqueline Leclerc, MA, MD2, Lysel Brignoli, MS2, Sara Boretti, MSc1, Vicky Britton, MA1.
1Oracle Life Sciences, London, United Kingdom, 2Oracle Life Science, Paris, France.
1Oracle Life Sciences, London, United Kingdom, 2Oracle Life Science, Paris, France.
OBJECTIVES: Increasing use of GLP-1 receptor agonists has driven interest in benefits beyond approved indications. This study aimed to characterize health conditions and symptom domains in which individuals describe perceived improvements associated with GLP-1 use in disease-specific communities outside of weight-management and diabetes forums.
METHODS: 9,458 English-language posts which referenced GLP-1s and benefits were collected from Reddit from December 2025 to May 2026. Weight-loss and diabetes-specific subreddits were excluded. Volume of posts in each disease-specific subreddit were grouped by condition. Using qualitative analysis posts were categorized by references to 1) research, trials, studies or medical advice on benefits of GLP-1s, 2) hearing benefits from others, or 3) personal experience of health improvements.
RESULTS: References to GLP-1-associated health benefits were reported across 105 conditions, including personal experiences of benefits (97 conditions), reports of hearing of benefits from others (63 conditions), and references to trials, studies, research or medical advice (44 conditions). Across health-focused communities, therapy areas which referenced GLP-1 health benefits most centered on women's health (2801 posts), mental health and psychiatry (1585), and neurology (1039). Key benefits mention included disease symptoms eased due to weight-loss (3027 references to "weight"), a reduction in inflammation (1415 references to “inflammation”), pain reduction (n=895 references to "pain"), and a reduction of addictive impulses (533 references to "addiction" or "cravings"). Various other health benefits were also referenced across communities.
CONCLUSIONS: Discussions across disease-specific online communities indicate strong patient interest in the potential role of GLP-1s beyond their current indications, reflecting significant unmet needs and attention to emerging research. The wide range of conditions and symptom improvements discussed underscores the value of social media listening for identifying patient-centered outcomes, generating hypotheses for future research, and monitoring emerging therapeutic interests.
METHODS: 9,458 English-language posts which referenced GLP-1s and benefits were collected from Reddit from December 2025 to May 2026. Weight-loss and diabetes-specific subreddits were excluded. Volume of posts in each disease-specific subreddit were grouped by condition. Using qualitative analysis posts were categorized by references to 1) research, trials, studies or medical advice on benefits of GLP-1s, 2) hearing benefits from others, or 3) personal experience of health improvements.
RESULTS: References to GLP-1-associated health benefits were reported across 105 conditions, including personal experiences of benefits (97 conditions), reports of hearing of benefits from others (63 conditions), and references to trials, studies, research or medical advice (44 conditions). Across health-focused communities, therapy areas which referenced GLP-1 health benefits most centered on women's health (2801 posts), mental health and psychiatry (1585), and neurology (1039). Key benefits mention included disease symptoms eased due to weight-loss (3027 references to "weight"), a reduction in inflammation (1415 references to “inflammation”), pain reduction (n=895 references to "pain"), and a reduction of addictive impulses (533 references to "addiction" or "cravings"). Various other health benefits were also referenced across communities.
CONCLUSIONS: Discussions across disease-specific online communities indicate strong patient interest in the potential role of GLP-1s beyond their current indications, reflecting significant unmet needs and attention to emerging research. The wide range of conditions and symptom improvements discussed underscores the value of social media listening for identifying patient-centered outcomes, generating hypotheses for future research, and monitoring emerging therapeutic interests.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-11, ISPOR Europe 2026, Vienna, Austria
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue 12S
Code
PCR165
Topic
Patient-Centered Research, Study Approaches
Topic Subcategory
Patient-reported Outcomes & Quality of Life Outcomes
Disease
Diabetes/Endocrine/Metabolic Disorders (including obesity)