Liraglutide
- Class: GLP-1 agonist
- Used for: type 2 diabetes
- Say it: leer-uh-GLOO-tide
- Forms: injection
LIRAGLUTIDE curbs the GLUTTON. The stomach empties slowly, meals satisfy sooner, and the appetite falls away.
It mimics the gut hormone released after eating. Because its insulin effect only works when glucose is already raised, hypoglycaemia is rare on its own.
It mimics the incretin released after eating: insulin released in response to glucose, glucagon suppressed, gastric emptying slowed and appetite reduced. Because the insulin effect is glucose-dependent, hypoglycaemia is rare on its own.
Side effects
Common: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Serious: pancreatitis, gallbladder disease
Typical dose
0.6 mg daily subcutaneously, titrated to 1.8 mg (3.0 mg for weight)
Titrate weekly to limit nausea. Subcutaneous injection, not a tablet.
Check yourself
Why does liraglutide rarely cause hypoglycaemia on its own?
- It only stimulates insulin release when the blood glucose is raised
- It does not affect insulin at all
- It is too short-acting to cause a hypo
- It blocks insulin receptors
Show answer
A. It only stimulates insulin release when the blood glucose is raised
The incretin effect is glucose-dependent — insulin is released in response to a meal, not on command. Combine a GLP-1 agonist with a sulfonylurea or insulin, however, and the hypoglycaemia risk comes from those drugs instead.
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