Read more
The Story of GLP-1: A Historical Journey in the Treatment of Diabetes and Obesity offers a compelling narrative about the discovery and development of the hormone GLP-1, which has revolutionized modern approaches to diabetes and obesity. Award-winning scientist Professor Jens Juul Holst, alongside co-authors Professor Sten Madsbad, Professor Jens Meldgaard Bruun, and Novo Nordisk Foundation CEO Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, trace the scientific breakthroughs and clinical advances that have made GLP-1 therapies, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, essential tools for improving blood sugar control and promoting meaningful, lasting weight loss in patients worldwide.
The book explores the rising global prevalence of obesity and diabetes, emphasizing the urgent need for innovative solutions. It critically examines traditional treatments, noting their limitations in sustaining weight loss or reducing complications. The narrative details the paradigm shift brought by GLP-1 medications, including liraglutide and semaglutide, which offer improved cardiovascular outcomes and significant health benefits. The authors also address ongoing challenges of accessibility and affordability, prompting important societal discussions about equitable distribution and funding for these lifechanging therapies.
List of contents
1. The Incretin Effect
2. GLP-1 and the Gastrointestinal Tract
3. GLP-1 and Food Intake
4. GLP-1 and Diabetes
5. GLP-1 and Diabetes Treatment
6. GLP-1 receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RA)
7. Weight Loss and Diabetes Treatment
8. GLP-1 and Weight Loss
9. GLP-1 and society
10. The Discovery and Development of Human GLP-1
About the author
Jens Juul Holst is Professor of Medical Physiology at the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen. He is Senior Group Leader at the Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Copenhagen.
Holst's scientific work has focused on the regulatory peptides of the pancreas and the gut and their importance in the regulation of the functions of the GI-tract and metabolism, with particular focus on blood glucose and appetite regulation, obesity and diabetes. A particular emphasis has been on the role of the incretin hormones of the gut (GLP-1 and GIP). Professor Holsts great scientific achievements include the discovery of GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1) a gut hormone regulating insulin secretion and appetite and food intake and his subsequent both basic and translational research in this field.
He is among the most cited European scientists in his field.
