“The important thing we know about the GLP-1 receptor agonists is that these drugs have been really extensively tested,” says Gerstein. The evidence has shown that the average person loses weight, improves their type 2 diabetes control and has a lower risk of future death, heart attacks, heart failure, kidney disease and strokes. “But, like I always say, there are eight billion people in the world, and we don’t know how anything we do works on all eight billion. There’s always going to be somebody who has unusual effects. So, on average, they’re safe, but everybody’s unique. I have patients who can’t tolerate these drugs, and they stop them.”