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Researchers are raising concerns about a rare and potentially fatal neurological disorder that has been reported among some patients using popular GLP-1 weight-loss medications, including Wegovy and Zepbound, with experts warning that severe appetite suppression, vomiting and other gastrointestinal side effects can leave patients dangerously deficient in essential nutrients.

A study published in Clinical Nutrition documented 15 reported cases of Wernicke encephalopathy, a serious brain disorder resulting from a severe deficiency of vitamin B1, or thiamine, among people who had been taking GLP-1 receptor agonists.

The majority of cases were associated with semaglutide, which is marketed under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, or tirzepatide, which is sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound.

The researchers identified the 15 cases by reviewing reports contained in the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System, previously published medical literature and cases seen at their own medical center.

Many of the patients experienced gastrointestinal or nutrition-related problems, including significant weight loss, vomiting, reduced appetite and malnutrition.

The researchers also found that reports of Wernicke encephalopathy occurred disproportionately among people using GLP-1 drugs compared with patients taking other medications. They cautioned, however, that their findings demonstrate an association and do not establish that the medications themselves caused the disorder.

Vitamin B1 is essential for normal brain function. A severe deficiency can result in confusion, difficulty walking, impaired balance and changes in vision. Without prompt treatment, Wernicke encephalopathy can cause lasting neurological injury and, in severe cases, death.

Karthik Achari, a Chicago-based clinician and founder of PepMD who was not involved with the research, stressed that the findings need to be understood in the context of the enormous number of people now using GLP-1 medications.

“Researchers went through adverse event reports and the medical literature and found a small number of cases, 15, of Wernicke encephalopathy in people taking GLP-1 drugs,” Achari told Fox News Digital. “That’s out of millions of people on these medications. So this is rare.”

“But it’s real, it’s serious, and the mechanism makes sense,” he added.

According to Achari, GLP-1 drugs can substantially suppress appetite and can also trigger nausea and vomiting. In certain patients, that combination could lead to inadequate food intake and eventually a vitamin B1 deficiency.

“The drug shrinks your appetite. It doesn’t shrink your body’s requirements,” he said. “You can now eat very little without feeling it, which is the point of the medication, but your need for protein, vitamins, and fluids didn’t go anywhere.”

Achari said certain groups could be particularly vulnerable, including patients experiencing prolonged nausea or vomiting, those rapidly losing weight while consuming very little food, people who previously underwent bariatric surgery and those who consume alcohol heavily.

Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based nutritionist and author of “The Sleepdemic Solution,” similarly emphasized that adequate nutrition and hydration should be an important component of care for patients using GLP-1 medications.

“GLP-1 medications can dramatically reduce appetite, but that also means people may unintentionally under-eat the very things their bodies need most, especially protein, fiber and fluids,” she told Fox News Digital.

Palinski-Wade warned that persistent vomiting or diarrhea can contribute to dehydration and potentially lead to kidney complications. She recommended seeking medical advice when such symptoms continue for approximately 24 hours.

“Don’t assume every side effect is just part of being on a GLP-1,” Palinski-Wade said. “Severe or persistent symptoms deserve attention.”

The study’s authors noted important limitations to their findings, particularly that much of the research was based on adverse-event reports submitted to the FDA. Such reports cannot establish that GLP-1 drugs caused Wernicke encephalopathy. The researchers called for further study, while medical experts cautioned that patients should not discontinue prescribed GLP-1 medications solely because of the new findings.

Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz issued a blistering condemnation of “NAZA,” an anti-Israel film that received an award at the 83rd Venice Film Festival, accusing its creators of falsely depicting Israel as intentionally killing civilians in Gaza.

The film, produced by two Israelis, presents the Gaza war from a pro-Palestinian perspective and portrays Israel and the IDF in a sharply negative and delegitimizing light.

“As a former IDF Chief of Staff and Defense Minister, I state unequivocally: IDF soldiers and commanders are among the most moral, humane and principled fighters in the world. How do I know? Because I was there. I know the IDF’s operations in Gaza in detail – before October 7, and even more so afterward,” Gantz wrote.

Gantz rejected the film’s portrayal of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, arguing that the IDF had gone to extraordinary lengths to uphold ethical standards while fighting in densely populated areas.

“You have to be a liar to portray Israel as deliberately carrying out killings in Gaza. No army in the world has fought in an urban environment while maintaining the purity of arms as the IDF has.”

Gantz also recalled a message he said he delivered to senior American military officials shortly after the October 7 massacre, stressing that Israel’s military campaign was never intended as an act of vengeance.

“In the first days of the war, for example, I told a delegation of American generals that there was no action we could take in Gaza that would make up for the atrocities committed against us on October 7. Therefore, revenge was never the purpose of the fighting. We are fighting to protect Israel’s citizens and to ensure security for the decades to come.”

Gantz’s criticism came after Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar denounced the filmmakers in even stronger terms, saying he would seek to have their Israeli citizenship revoked “for betraying the state.”

“The victory of the despicable film NAZA at the Venice Film Festival is appalling,” Zohar said. “The creators’ seething self-hatred, which drives them to harm their homeland in order to receive applause from antisemites around the world, is unfathomable and constitutes a betrayal of the state. This is precisely why I led the important cinema reform – so that Israeli citizens will no longer pay out of their own pockets for attacks on IDF soldiers and the State of Israel. I will work to revoke the citizenship of these contemptible filmmakers.”

{Matzav.com}