PLEIOTROPIC EFFECTS OF GLP-1 RECEPTOR AGONISTS: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Wiktoria Marzec; Hanna Maruchniak; Paulina Biedroń; Anna Skrzypek; Maciej Hutkowski; Mikołaj Zbrożek; Zuzanna Chwostek; Bartłomiej Kosiarski; Patrycja Markowicz; Krzysztof Biłyk

doi:10.31435/ijitss.1(49).2026.4911

Wiktoria Marzec Specialist Hospital named after Florian Ceynowy in Wejherowo, Wejherowo, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6395-6263
Hanna Maruchniak Czerniakowski Hospital, Warsaw, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8735-9912
Paulina Biedroń Praski Hospital of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Warsaw, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8461-2958
Anna Skrzypek Czerniakowski Hospital, Warsaw, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0007-6771-3186
Maciej Hutkowski Independent Public Healthcare Complex in Pruszków, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9811-8681
Mikołaj Zbrożek Prof. W. Orłowski Independent Public Clinical Hospital, Warsaw, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0007-8873-6184
Zuzanna Chwostek Medical Center, Łańcut, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0001-8177-4168
Bartłomiej Kosiarski Central Clinical Hospital, Medical University, Warsaw, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2499-1245
Patrycja Markowicz Praski Hospital of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Warsaw, Poland https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3986-1751
Krzysztof Biłyk Independent Public Specialist Western Hospital named after St. John Paul II https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2374-4231

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31435/ijitss.1(49).2026.4911

Keywords: Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonists, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Obesity, Cardiovascular Diseases, Diabetic Nephropathy, Fatty Liver Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, Neuropsychiatric Disorders

Abstract

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) have been transformative in the management of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and obesity. Advances in drug design have improved their bioavailability, allowing effective glucose control and weight loss with minimal side effects. Studies have demonstrated that GLP-1RAs, beyond their metabolic benefits, exert protective effects in multiple pathologies, including cardiovascular disease, liver disorders, kidney disease and neurodegeneration . Cardiovascular benefits include enhanced myocardial function, reduced atherosclerosis, improved endothelial health and a lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, alongside improved insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism. In the liver, GLP-1RAs ameliorate metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease by decreasing hepatic fat, inflammation and oxidative stress. In diabetic kidney disease, they exert renoprotective effects through anti-inflammatory, antioxidative and antihypertensive mechanisms. Emerging evidence also suggests neuropsychiatric benefits, including reductions in depressive and anxiety symptoms, decreased substance use and lower risk of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other dementias, likely mediated by modulation of neurotransmitter systems and neuroinflammation. This review summarizes preclinical and clinical evidence demonstrating the multifaceted effects of GLP-1RAs across multiple organ systems.

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