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GLP-1s have been around for decades. As far as medications go, that’s plenty long for “long-term” side effects to show up. Not saying it’s not possible, but it’s also not likely at this point.

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Yes, and to be clear about where they were hiding, they started out as a treatment for diabetes.

There's enough evidence that it can cause liver damage that people taking semaglutide need to monitor their liver enzyme levels.

We should be monitoring liver enzymes anyway as part of yearly labs to identify issues like fatty liver. For what it's worth, since taking Zepbound, my borderline-but-not-yet-high enzymes are now smack in the middle. I'm on a few medications that have improved my health, but require monitoring to ensure that things don't go bad.

Obesity is now a bigger cause of liver failure and cirrhosis than alcoholism.

Frankly, I think even the most severe side effects we can dream up, short of dying, are probably nothing in comparison to the risks the people taking these drugs already face.

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