The retrospective study analyzed the electronic health records of 1,257 patients ages 18 to 65 who underwent bariatric surgery at Vanderbilt Health from 2017 to 2022, and 1,809 patients treated with the drugs semaglutide or tirzepatide from 2018 to 2023. 

The number of adults living with diabetes has surpassed 800 million, and the World Health Organization has called the escalating prevalence of Type 2 diabetes an epidemic.

Drucker and his team study the molecular biology and physiology of the GLP-1 and GLP-2 molecules that regulate glucose metabolism, insulin secretion and energy balance.

Daniel Drucker, MD, a pioneering scientist whose research contributed to the development of the blockbuster GLP-1 medicines used to treat diabetes and obesity, was listed by TIME magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2024.

The report supports previous clinical trials that found the GLP-1 receptor agonist drug semaglutide reduced kidney disease progression in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System have demonstrated in a small clinical study that “turning up the heat” on fat may help people lose weight and reduce their risk of obesity-related cardiovascular and metabolic disease.