GLP-1 drugs may be doing more than shrinking waistlines. An early international survey presented at a major dermatology conference found people on medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide were about four times more likely to report nails pulling away from the nail bed than similar patients who never used the drugs—39% versus 9%, reports Medical Daily. Overall, two-thirds of the 575 GLP-1 users studied reported at least one nail issue, and they also reported more nail discoloration (46% vs. 17% of non-users, a pool that included 1,329 people who had type 2 diabetes and/or obesity but had never taken the drugs).
Dermatologists stress the findings are early and can’t prove the medications are to blame; rapid weight loss, nutritional gaps, and underlying conditions may all play a role. “Our findings show a clear association,” says study author Dr. Charles Taïeb, “but they also underline an important point: not everything that happens during GLP-1 treatment is necessarily caused by the treatment itself.” But the higher rate of nail problems “did not appear to be explained by weight loss alone,” according to a European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology press release. The researchers’ bottom line: Don’t ditch a working GLP-1 prescription over nail or hair changes, but discuss new symptoms with your doctor.