Transcript
Announcer:
This is Diabetes Discourse on ReachMD. On this episode, Dr. Laura Chiavaroli will discuss the potential metabolic benefits of diet and exercise combined with GLP-1 medicines, which she spoke about at the 2026 European Association for the Study of Diabetes Annual Meeting. Dr. Chiavaroli is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto and an affiliate scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital. Let’s hear from her now.
Dr. Chiavaroli:
My interest in the intersection between diet and exercise and GLP-1 medicine use stems from the fact that GLP-1 medicines have dramatically changed the landscape of diabetes and obesity treatment at a pace that has not necessarily kept up with our understanding of how to best prescribe them to avoid unintended consequences.
We predominantly have scientific statements that are out right now on nutrition and GLP-1 medicine use, and they highlight the use of diet to support the management of GI symptoms. For example, smaller and more frequent meals and adequate fluids can help address symptoms of nausea and vomiting, which frequently occur in the early stages of GLP-1 medicine use, as well as consuming more fiber and adequate fluid for constipation.
However, when it comes to controlled trials that are directly comparing the effects of diet and exercise with GLP-1 medicine use compared to GLP-1 medicine use alone without recommendations of diet and exercise and the effects on metabolic outcomes, those trials are really limited. We don't have a lot of trials that are out there looking at that. Most of the studies have examined GLP-1 medicine use as an adjunct to background lifestyle interventions, which are general and not really the focus of the study.
Of those few studies that are out there that are looking at that intersection between diet and exercise combined with GLP-1 medicine use on metabolic health, there was a large prospective cohort study of nearly 100,000 adults with type 2 diabetes that demonstrated enhanced benefits in GLP-1 users when they adhered to healthy lifestyle parameters. So they looked at adherence to eight lifestyle habits that included a high-quality diet and being physically active, and they showed that with greater adherence to a healthy lifestyle while on a GLP-1, there were greater reductions in the risk of major cardiovascular events. There are a few trials—four trials to be exact—from a recent review that we've done, which examined various dietary interventions in combination with GLP-1 medicine use versus GLP-1 medicine use alone, and demonstrated enhancements in the metabolic benefits, like greater weight loss and better glycemic control.
So there is some evidence, but this is more of an emerging area of research, so we expect to see more in the coming years.
Announcer:
That was Dr. Laura Chiavaroli discussing the potential metabolic benefits of diet and exercise combined with GLP-1 medicines. To access this and other episodes in this series, visit Diabetes Discourse on ReachMD.com, where you can Be Part of the Knowledge. Thanks for listening!
