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10 conditions for which GLP-1 medications are FDA-approved or commonly prescribed — with prevalence, trial evidence, and treatment guidance.
FDA-approved & primary indications
37M US adults affected
A chronic metabolic disorder of insulin resistance and elevated blood glucose. GLP-1 receptor agonists are first-line injectables when oral metformin alone is insufficient, per ADA Standards of Care 2025.
42% of US adults
Obesity (BMI 30+ or 27+ with comorbidity) is recognized as a chronic disease by AMA, WHO, and FDA. GLP-1 therapies produce 15-22% mean weight loss at one year.
96M ~1 in 3 US adults
Prediabetes (HbA1c 5.7-6.4% or fasting glucose 100-125 mg/dL) affects roughly 1 in 3 US adults. No GLP-1 is FDA-approved for prediabetes alone, but trial data show conversion to normoglycemia.
8-13% of reproductive-age women
PCOS affects 8-13% of reproductive-age women and frequently involves insulin resistance, obesity, and metabolic dysfunction. GLP-1 therapy is off-label but increasingly used.
~30M US adults with OSA
OSA is breathing interruption during sleep, often driven by obesity. In December 2024, Zepbound became the first FDA-approved drug for moderate-to-severe OSA in adults with obesity.
1 in 3 deaths from CVD
Several GLP-1 RAs carry FDA indications for reducing cardiovascular events. Wegovy received a 2024 SELECT-based indication to reduce MACE in adults with CVD and overweight/obesity.
Off-label & emerging-evidence indications
25-30% of US adults
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, formerly NAFLD) affects 25-30% of US adults. GLP-1 and GLP-1/GIP agonists show robust reductions in liver fat.
~34% of US adults
A cluster of conditions — abdominal obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, impaired fasting glucose — that raise T2D and CVD risk. No GLP-1 is FDA-approved for the syndrome itself.
Other indications