20 - Actions from insight: GLP-1 receptor agonists and building healthy habits (24 min)

Obesity affects over 40% of adults in the United States. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, a class of medications initially developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, have shown significant efficacy in promoting weight loss and are increasingly prescribed for obesity management. In today’s episode, Millicent Kee, MSN, FNP-BC, Clinical and Education Specialist, and Patty Bianchi, MS, RDN, CDCES, Clinical Educator at Quest Diagnostics Center of Excellence at Cleveland HeartLab, will discuss GLP-1 receptor agonists, their actions in the body, and the important role of nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle alongside these medications. This episode will Discuss the actions of GLP-1 receptor agonists in the body (1:38) Discuss how GLP-1s influence appetite and hunger (3:18) Discuss the role of nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle while on GLP-1 therapy (6:38) Discuss how weight loss may also improve cardiometabolic health and lower insulin resistance utilizing a patient example (18:00) To learn more, please review the additional resources below for information on our cardiovascular, metabolic, endocrine, and wellness offerings as well as educational resources and insights from our team of experts. At Quest Diagnostics, we are committed to providing you with results and insights to support your clinical decisions. Date: 8/2025 Speaker(s):  Millicent Kee, MSN, FNP-BC; Patricia Bianchi, MS, RDN, CDCES Contributor(s): Millicent Kee, MSN, FNP-BC; Patricia Bianchi, MS, RDN, CDCES; Maeson Latsko, PhD; Trisha Winchester, PhD   Additional Resources Quest Diagnostics Clinical Education Center [Link]   References: Neff LM, Kushner RF. Emerging role of GLP-1 receptor agonists in the treatment of obesity. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2010 Jul 20; 3:263-73. doi: 10.2147/dmsott. s6816   Stierman B, Afful J, Carroll MD, et al. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017–March 2020 prepandemic data files development of files and prevalence estimates for selected health outcomes. Natl Health Stat Report. 2021;158. doi: 10.15620/cdc:106273   Related Content: FAQ CardioIQ® Insulin Resistance Panel with Score | Quest Diagnostics   Additional Resources Weight management and cardiometabolic health | Quest Diagnostics   Audio Podcast Instant Insight: Metabolic Risk Panel | Quest Diagnostics Action From Insight: Tackling Insulin Resistance | Quest Diagnostics   Conference Presentation Measures of Insulin Resistance (IR) Increase with Increasing BMI in a Population of Normoglycemic Working Adults | Quest Diagnostics   On-Demand Webinar Detecting and Managing Insulin Resistance | Quest Diagnostics