GLP-1 medications may be associated with nail detachment, discolouration, hair loss and scalp irritation, according to new French research presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress.
The multinational study compared 575 GLP-1 users with 1,329 people with type 2 diabetes and/or obesity who had never taken the drugs. At least one nail problem was reported by 66 per cent of GLP-1 users, compared with 53 per cent of non-users. Nail detachment was more than four times as common among users, while nail discolouration affected 46 per cent of users, compared with 17 per cent of non-users.
The nail changes could not be explained by weight loss alone, as GLP-1 users continued to report higher rates of nail problems than non-users, even when researchers compared people who had lost weight in both groups.
A related study involving the same group found that 50 per cent of GLP-1 users reported unusual hair loss, compared with 34 per cent of non-users. Reduced hair thickness or volume affected 42 per cent of users, compared with 19 per cent of non-users. Many participants experiencing hair loss also reported an itchy, red or scaly scalp.
However, the studies do not prove that GLP-1 medications directly cause these changes. Reduced food intake and nutritional deficiencies associated with weight loss could also contribute to the symptoms.
About half of the GLP-1 users reported nail problems before starting treatment. Nevertheless, nail detachment and discolouration remained two to three times more common among users after researchers accounted for other factors.
Researchers caution patients against stopping their medication if they notice nail or hair changes. Instead, they should discuss these symptoms with their doctor.
