Lab work is one of the most important tools in your weight loss journey — and one of the most misunderstood.
GLP-1 medications are safe and effective, but losing a lot of weight changes your body in ways that go beyond the scale. Regular blood work lets your care team track improvements in blood sugar, cholesterol, blood pressure markers and monitor liver and kidney health as well as screen for nutrient gaps. Adjustment of your treatment plan is subsequently based on real numbers,
Most people see their lab results get better, not worse, on GLP-1 therapy. But everyone's body responds differently, and regular monitoring helps your care team personalize your plan and catch anything that needs attention early.
Blood Sugar & Insulin Regulation
These markers reflect how your body manages glucose. They are among the most directly affected by GLP-1 therapy — and among the most clinically meaningful to track over time.
| Lab Test |
What It Measures |
Target / What to Know |
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HbA1c
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Your average blood sugar over the past 2–3 months. Unlike a single glucose reading, A1c reflects your blood sugar levels across many weeks, giving a much more complete picture of how your body is handling sugar.
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Normal: <5.7% | Pre-diabetes: 5.7–6.4% | Diabetes: ≥6.5%
- If you have diabetes, GLP-1 medications typically lower HbA1c by 1 to 2 percentage points — and sometimes more with newer GLP-1 medications. Many patients reach their target HbA1c for the first time.
- If you have pre-diabetes, the drop is usually smaller (around 0.4–0.5 percentage points), but even modest improvements can significantly reduce your risk of progressing to diabetes.
- If your blood sugar was already normal, you may see a small decrease, but HbA1c is less of a focus for you — other markers like cholesterol and inflammation may be more meaningful to track.
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Fasting Glucose
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Your blood sugar level after not eating or drinking (except water) for at least 8 hours, usually overnight. This gives a snapshot of how much glucose is circulating in your blood at rest — before food has any influence.
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- Normal: below 100 mg/dL
- Pre-diabetes (impaired fasting glucose): 100–125 mg/dL
- Diabetes: 126 mg/dL or higher
- Below 70 mg/dL is generally considered low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and may cause symptoms like shakiness, sweating, or dizziness.
What to expect on GLP-1 medication:
- GLP-1 medications lower fasting glucose by an average of about 18 mg/dL overall. The effect is largest in people with diabetes (around 24 mg/dL) and smaller in those with pre-diabetes (around 13 mg/dL) or normal blood sugar (around 6 mg/dL).
- You may notice your fasting glucose improves within the first few weeks — often before A1c changes become visible, since A1c takes 2–3 months to fully reflect improvements.
- GLP-1 medications also reduce blood sugar spikes after meals, which is one reason your A1c may improve even more than your fasting glucose alone would suggest.
Important to know:
- Fasting glucose can vary from day to day based on stress, sleep, illness, and what you ate the night before. A single high reading does not necessarily mean your treatment isn't working — trends over time matter more.
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Fasting Insulin
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The amount of insulin your pancreas is producing after an overnight fast — before food has any influence. Insulin is the hormone that moves sugar from your blood into your cells. When your body becomes less responsive to insulin (called insulin resistance), your pancreas compensates by making more of it. That's why a high fasting insulin level is one of the earliest warning signs of metabolic problems — often appearing years before blood sugar itself starts to rise.
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- There is no single universal cutoff for fasting insulin. Reference ranges vary by lab and testing method, but in healthy, non-obese adults, fasting insulin typically falls between about 2 and 13 µIU/mL.
- Your provider interprets your fasting insulin in context — alongside your fasting glucose, body weight, and other metabolic markers. A level that is "normal" for one person may be elevated for another.
- In general, higher fasting insulin suggests greater insulin resistance, even if your blood sugar is still in the normal range.
Why this matters for your health:
Insulin resistance is the underlying driver of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and is linked to increased risk of heart disease and fatty liver disease. Fasting insulin can detect this problem early — often before fasting glucose or A1c become abnormal. Think of it as an early warning system.
What to expect on GLP-1 medication:
- GLP-1 medications improve insulin resistance through two pathways: directly, by acting on insulin signaling, and indirectly, through weight loss. Studies show that insulin sensitivity can begin improving within the first 2 weeks of treatment — even before significant weight loss occurs.
- As insulin resistance improves, your pancreas no longer needs to work as hard. Over time, fasting insulin levels typically decrease, which is a sign that your metabolism is becoming healthier.
- GLP-1 medications also support the health of your insulin-producing cells (beta cells), helping them function more efficiently rather than simply pumping out more insulin.
Important to know:
- Fasting insulin is not part of routine screening for most people — your provider orders it specifically when they want to assess insulin resistance or track your metabolic progress on treatment.
- A single fasting insulin value is just one piece of the puzzle. Your care team may also use a calculation called HOMA-IR, which combines your fasting insulin and fasting glucose to give a more precise estimate of insulin resistance.
- If your fasting insulin is dropping while your blood sugar stays stable or improves, that's a very positive sign — it means your body is managing glucose more efficiently with less effort.
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💡HbA1c is the most important single marker for people managing blood sugar on GLP-1 therapy. Even a small drop in the number is a big win for your health. Look at the trend over time, not just one result. A drop from 7.0% to 6.2% — while both numbers might look close on paper — represents a meaningful, clinically protective change. Track the direction and the trend, not just whether you are inside or outside a range.
Cholesterol & Heart Health
These results provide information about your heart and blood vessel health. GLP-1 medications can help improve many of these markers, but some may need to be monitored closely and could require additional treatment or lifestyle changes.
| Lab Test |
What It Measures |
Target / What to Know |
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Total Cholesterol
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The combined amount of all types of cholesterol in your blood — including LDL ("bad" cholesterol), HDL ("good" cholesterol), VLDL, and other smaller fractions. Think of it as the big-picture number for cholesterol. It's a useful starting point, but it doesn't tell the whole story on its own. High HDL can raise total cholesterol without increasing cardiovascular risk.
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Desirable: <200 mg/dL | Borderline high: 200–239 | High: ≥240 mg/dL
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LDL — "Bad" Cholesterol
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LDL carries cholesterol from your liver out to your tissues and blood vessels. When there is too much LDL in your blood, it can build up inside artery walls and form plaque — the fatty deposits that narrow arteries and can eventually cause heart attacks and strokes. This is why LDL is often called "bad" cholesterol and is the primary treatment target for reducing heart disease risk.
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In general, lower is better.
Current guidelines set targets based on your risk level:
- Most adults at low to moderate risk: LDL below 100–130 mg/dL, with a goal of reducing LDL by at least 30% from baseline
- Adults with diabetes, high cardiovascular risk, or multiple risk factors: LDL below 70 mg/dL, with a goal of reducing LDL by 50% or more
- Adults with established heart disease (prior heart attack, stent, bypass) at very high risk: LDL below 55 mg/dL
GLP-1 medications modestly lower LDL cholesterol by reducing the cholesterol-rich particles produced by the gut after meals, promoting weightloss, and improving the overall quality of LDL particles so they are less likely to damage artery walls.
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HDL — "Good" Cholesterol
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HDL works like a cleanup crew — it picks up excess cholesterol from your arteries and carries it back to the liver for removal.
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- Target: Men: >40 mg/dL | Women: >50 mg/dL | ≥60 mg/dL is considered protective. Unlike LDL, higher is generally better — but extremely high levels (>80–100 mg/dL) don't always add extra protection.
- Depending on the subclass of GLP-1 medications there is either little/no direct effect to small consistent HDL increase. However the weight loss they promote can help raise HDL over time. Exercise and dietary changes remain the most effective ways to boost HDL.
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Triglycerides
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A type of fat in your blood strongly influenced by diet — particularly refined carbohydrates, added sugars, and alcohol. Your liver converts excess calories from these sources into triglycerides, which are stored in fat cells. High levels increase cardiovascular risk, and very high levels can trigger pancreatitis.
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- Normal: <150 mg/dL
- Moderate: 150–499 mg/dL
- Severe: ≥500 mg/dL-carries a risk of pancreatitis, which increases further as triglyceride levels rise above 500, becoming especially concerning above 1,000 mg/dL.
Triglyceride levels typically improve with GLP-1 medication through weight loss — every 2 pounds lost reduces triglycerides by roughly 4 mg/dL.
GLP-1 medications also help reduce the spike in blood fats after meals by slowing digestion and reducing the amount of fat particles your gut releases into the bloodstream. Cutting back on added sugars, refined carbs, and alcohol will amplify these benefits.
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Apolipoprotein B (ApoB)
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A protein that coats every bad cholesterol (artery-clogging) particle in your blood. Because each bad particle carries exactly one ApoB molecule, ApoB directly counts the number of risk-carrying particles. This is much more accurate than using LDL alone.
A protein found on every artery-clogging (atherogenic) particle in the blood — including LDL, VLDL, and other harmful lipoproteins. Because each particle carries exactly one ApoB molecule, this test directly counts the number of risk-carrying particles. This makes it a more precise measure of cardiovascular risk than LDL cholesterol alone, which only measures the amount of cholesterol inside those particles. LDL cholesterol can sometimes look normal even when the number of harmful particles remains high — especially in people with diabetes, metabolic syndrome, or elevated triglycerides. ApoB catches this hidden risk.
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- Most adults: <90 mg/dL
- High-risk individuals: <70 mg/dL
- Very high-risk individuals: <60 mg/dL
Weight loss — whether from healthier eating, exercise, or GLP-1 medication — is the single most powerful way to lower ApoB. When excess weight comes off and insulin resistance improves, the liver produces fewer atherogenic (plaque-forming) particles, and the body clears them from the bloodstream more efficiently.
GLP-1 medications support this process by making it easier to eat less and lose weight — which is itself the main driver of ApoB reduction. These medications also help the body break down and clear ApoB-containing particles faster, adding benefit on top of what lifestyle changes achieve.
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Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a))
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An LDL-like particle that is primarily determined by genetics, not lifestyle. Lp(a) is one of the strongest inherited risk factors for heart disease and is largely set at birth.
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- Desirable: <30 mg/dL (or <75 nmol/L)
- Elevated: ≥50 mg/dL (or ≥125 nmol/L)
- Very high: ≥180 mg/dL (or ≥430 nmol/L)
- Unlike LDL, Lp(a) is largely unaffected by diet, exercise, weight loss, or GLP-1 therapy.
If elevated, it makes aggressive management of every other modifiable risk factor (such as LDL, blood pressure, blood sugar, smoking, weight) even more important.
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High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP)
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Measures the level of C-reactive protein in the blood — a marker of ongoing, low-grade inflammation throughout the body. Unlike a standard CRP test (used for infections), the high-sensitivity version detects the subtle, chronic inflammation that silently damages blood vessels, worsens insulin resistance, and raises cardiovascular risk over time.
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- Low risk: <1.0 mg/L
- Average risk: 1.0–3.0 mg/L
- Higher risk: >3.0 mg/L
- Values >10 mg/L may reflect an acute infection or illness and should be repeated in 2–3 weeks.
GLP-1 medications significantly reduce CRP levels through both direct anti-inflammatory effects and weight loss.
These anti-inflammatory benefits go beyond what weight loss alone would explain — GLP-1 medications also act directly on immune cells to reduce the inflammatory signals they release.
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Liver Function
Fatty liver disease is very common in people with obesity, insulin resistance, or type 2 diabetes. Previously called NAFLD (non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), it has been renamed MASLD — metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease — to better reflect its root cause: metabolic dysfunction rather than simply the absence of alcohol use. The condition ranges from excess fat in the liver (steatosis) to active inflammation and scarring (steatohepatitis), which can progress to cirrhosis if untreated.
GLP-1 medications are among the most effective treatments available for improving liver health — reducing liver fat, lowering liver enzymes, and in some cases improving liver scarring. These markers let us track that progress.
| Lab Test |
What It Measures |
Target / What to Know |
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ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase)
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A liver enzyme released into the bloodstream when liver cells are inflamed or damaged. ALT is the most sensitive routine marker of liver inflammation and one of the most common tests used to check liver health.
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Normal range varies by lab (typically <35 U/L for women, <56 U/L for men). Mildly elevated levels are common with fatty liver disease and often improve significantly with GLP-1 therapy.
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AST (Aspartate Aminotransferase)
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Another liver enzyme, but less specific to the liver than ALT — AST is also found in muscle and heart tissue. When both ALT and AST are elevated together, it points toward liver stress.
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Normal range varies by lab (typically <40 U/L).
The ratio of AST to ALT helps your provider distinguish between different causes of liver problems — in fatty liver disease, ALT is usually higher than AST (AST:ALT ratio less than 1), while the reverse pattern can suggest other conditions such as alcohol-related liver disease or advanced scarring.
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💡Note: Fatty liver disease (MASLD-metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease ) is very common in people with obesity. It often has no symptoms, so these lab tests may be the first sign. The good news: liver enzymes are one of the most responsive markers to GLP-1 therapy. Multiple studies confirm that GLP-1 medications significantly reduce both ALT and AST, decrease liver fat, and can even resolve liver inflammation in many patients. This is one of the most important non-scale wins of GLP-1 therapy.
Kidney Function
Kidney health is tracked routinely because it affects medication choices, protein recommendations, and overall treatment planning. GLP-1 medications are kidney-protective in most people — particularly those with diabetes or early kidney disease.
| Lab Test |
What It Measures |
Target / What to Know |
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Creatinine
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A waste product from normal muscle activity that the kidneys filter out of the blood. When the kidneys aren't filtering as efficiently, creatinine builds up, so higher levels can signal reduced kidney function.
Creatinine levels can be influenced by several factors unrelated to kidney function, including muscle mass (higher muscle mass raises creatinine), age (levels naturally decline with aging due to loss of muscle), sex (men typically have higher levels than women), diet (high protein or cooked meat intake can transiently raise levels), intense exercise (can cause temporary elevations), and certain medications such as trimethoprim and cimetidine, which block creatinine secretion in the kidney tubules and raise blood levels without affecting actual kidney filtration.
Dehydration can also cause a temporary rise in creatinine by reducing blood flow to the kidneys.
For patients on GLP-1 therapy, the most relevant factor is that significant weight loss can reduce muscle mass, which may lower creatinine levels and potentially mask early kidney changes — reinforcing why eGFR and trending over time are more reliable than any single creatinine reading.
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Normal: 0.7–1.3 mg/dL (men); 0.5–1.1 mg/dL (women). Single readings are less informative than trends over time.
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eGFR — Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate
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A calculated score based on creatinine, age, and sex that estimates how efficiently the kidneys filter the blood each minute. eGFR is the primary measure of kidney function used in clinical practice — more informative than creatinine alone because it accounts for individual differences in body composition.
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- ≥90: Normal kidney function
- 60–89: Mildly reduced (typically monitored, not treated unless other markers like albumin in the urine are abnormal)
- 45–59: Mild-to-moderate reduction
- 30–44: Moderate-to-severe reduction
- 15–29: Severely reduced
- <15: Kidney failure
Important context: eGFR naturally declines with age — a healthy 80-year-old typically has a median eGFR around 63–66 mL/min/1.73 m², compared to ~100 in a 20-year-old.
GLP-1 medications are kidney-protective — they slow the rate of eGFR decline, reduce protein leaking into the urine (albuminuria), and lower the risk of progression to kidney failure.
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BUN — Blood Urea Nitrogen
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A waste product created when the body breaks down protein, filtered out of the blood by the kidneys. BUN is less specific to kidney function than creatinine — it is also influenced by protein intake, hydration status, and other factors — but when both BUN and creatinine are elevated together, it is more clinically significant than either alone.
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Normal range: 7–20 mg/dL. BUN can rise in response to a high-protein meal or not drinking enough water — it does not always mean there is a kidney problem. When BUN is elevated, your provider will review other factors such as BUN to Creatinine ratio to help determine potential cause(s).
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Nutritional Status
When appetite is suppressed and food intake decreases — which is how GLP-1 medications work — nutritional deficiencies can develop gradually and silently.
These lab markers let us catch deficiencies early — often before they cause noticeable symptoms. When deficiencies do develop, they can show up as fatigue beyond what is expected from eating less, excessive hair loss, skin changes, muscle weakness, poor wound healing, or mood changes.
| Lab Test |
What It Measures |
Target / What to Know |
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Vitamin B12
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Essential for nerve function, red blood cell production, and energy metabolism. B12 deficiency can develop gradually without obvious warning signs. Symptoms may include fatigue, brain fog, numbness or tingling in the hands and feet, and mood changes. Metformin — a medication commonly used alongside GLP-1 therapy — can reduce B12 absorption over time, and eating less while on GLP-1 medications may further lower B12 levels.
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- Greater than 400 pg/mL is ideal.
- Levels between 200–400 pg/mL may warrant further testing for functional deficiency
- Below 200 pg/mL confirms deficiency.
- If levels are low: Oral B12 supplementation at 1,000 mcg/day is effective, affordable, and works as well as injections for most people. Supplementation should be guided by your clinical care team.
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Vitamin D (25-OH Vitamin D)
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Supports bone health, immune function, mood, and insulin sensitivity. Vitamin D deficiency is extremely common — particularly in people with obesity, limited sun exposure, or darker skin tones.
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- Target: >30 ng/mL; ideally 40–60 ng/mL. Many people require supplementation of 2,000–4,000 IU/day; Your clinical provider will provide guidance regarding specific dosage.
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Ferritin
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The best measure of the body's true iron stores — more informative than serum iron alone. Low ferritin is one of the most common and reversible causes of fatigue and hair loss during weight loss.
A protein that stores iron in the body. A ferritin blood test is the single best measure of the body's true iron reserves — much more informative than serum iron alone. Low ferritin is one of the most common and reversible causes of fatigue, hair loss, and mood changes during weight loss.
Iron deficiency can cause symptoms even when hemoglobin is normal — this is called "non-anemic iron deficiency," and it is actually more common than iron deficiency with anemia.
Reduced food intake on GLP-1 medications increases the risk of iron depletion over time.
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- >30 ng/mL — the minimum for all adults. Below this, iron deficiency is very likely and treatment is typically recommended. Many lab reports still use outdated cutoffs of 12–15 ng/mL — expert consensus has moved to 30 ng/mL.
- >50–70 ng/mL — a better goal during active weight loss, particularly with fatigue or hair shedding.
- >100 ng/mL — the recommended level before stopping iron replacement in at-risk patients.
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TSH — Thyroid Stimulating Hormone
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A hormone from the pituitary gland that tells the thyroid how hard to work. When the thyroid is underactive, TSH rises as the pituitary tries to compensate.
An underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) can cause fatigue, hair loss, weight resistance, cold intolerance, and mood changes — symptoms that overlap significantly with common GLP-1 side effects and nutritional deficiencies, making it important to check so the right cause is identified and treated.
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Complete Blood Count (CBC)
A broad screening panel that provides a snapshot of overall blood health. The CBC is not specific to GLP-1 therapy, but it is a valuable part of baseline and follow-up evaluation — particularly because reduced food intake and rapid weight loss can affect blood cell production and nutrient stores.
What the CBC includes:
- Red blood cells (RBC) — carry oxygen throughout the body
- Hemoglobin & Hematocrit — measures of oxygen-carrying capacity; low levels indicate anemia
- MCV (Mean Corpuscular Volume) — red blood cell size; helps distinguish types of anemia
- White blood cells (WBC) — immune system cells; elevated levels can indicate infection or inflammation
- Platelets — involved in clotting; very low or very high levels warrant further investigation
What the CBC flags:
- Iron deficiency anemia-low hemoglobin + low MCV + low ferritin. The most common nutritional deficiency during weight loss, and one of the most reversible causes of fatigue and hair loss.
- B12 or folate deficiency anemia — low hemoglobin + high MCV. Particularly relevant for patients also taking metformin, which impairs B12 absorption.
- Infection or inflammation — elevated WBC
- Chronic inflammation-related anemia — obesity itself drives a low-grade inflammatory state that raises hepcidin (a hormone that blocks iron absorption), which can cause mild anemia even when iron stores appear adequate. This type of anemia often improves with weight loss as inflammation decreases.
Other causes of anemia that can coexist with obesity
These are independent of obesity-related inflammation but may be present in the same patient:
- Chronic kidney disease — reduced erythropoietin production; common in patients with diabetes or hypertension
- Chronic blood loss — menstrual, gastrointestinal (NSAIDs, GI lesions)
- Thyroid disease — hypothyroidism can cause mild anemia
- Medications — certain drugs can suppress bone marrow or cause blood loss
💡A CBC abnormality is a starting point for investigation, not a diagnosis. Context and follow-up tests clarify the picture.
How GLP-1 Therapy Typically Affects Your Labs
As you go through your first year on a GLP-1 medication, you will see lab values change. This table summarizes what typically happens — and what to watch for. Your individual results may differ.
| Lab Marker |
What Typically Happens on GLP-1 Therapy |
Direction |
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HbA1c
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Often improves — usually decreases by 1–2 percentage points in people with diabetes or pre-diabetes.
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↓ Improves
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Fasting Glucose
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Decreases as insulin sensitivity improves and as caloric intake decreases.
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↓ Improves
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Triglycerides
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Typically improves significantly — one of the most consistent lipid benefits of GLP-1 therapy.
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↓ Improves
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HDL
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Often increases with weight loss.
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↑ Improves
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LDL
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Variable — may decrease modestly, remain stable, or rise temporarily in the early months as stored fat mobilizes during weight loss. Discuss trends with your healthcare provider.
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⚠ Monitor
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ALT / AST
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Often improves as fatty liver resolves with weight loss — one of the meaningful non-scale benefits of GLP-1 therapy.
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↓ Improves
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hs-CRP
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Often decreases. Weight loss and the anti-inflammatory effects of GLP-1 medications can help reduce overall inflammation in the body.
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↓ Improves
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eGFR (Kidneys)
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GLP-1 medications may help protect kidney function. eGFR typically remains stable or may improve over time.
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↑ Stable / Improves
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Vitamin B12
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May decline, especially if also taking Metformin. Monitoring levels and supplementing when necessary is recommended.
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⚠ Monitor
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Ferritin / Iron
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Can decline during rapid weight loss, particularly when intake of iron-rich foods such as meat, poultry, and fish decreases.
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⚠ Monitor
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Lp(a)
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Generally not affected by GLP-1 therapy or weight loss because levels are largely determined by genetics.
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→ Unchanged
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LDL and early weight loss:
Some people see a temporary rise in LDL during the first months of GLP-1 therapy. This is a well-documented phenomenon during active weight loss: as stored fat is mobilized from tissue into the bloodstream, cholesterol that was sequestered in fat cells is released into circulation. Levels usually stabilize or improve once weight loss slows and the body reaches a new steady state. A single elevated LDL reading during rapid weight loss should not be interpreted as a new or worsening problem — discuss the trend and context with your provider.
How to Think About Your Results
What to do when results come in:
- Read them in the context of your overall progress — not as isolated numbers
- Notice the direction: is this value improving, stable, or worsening compared to last time?
- Ask your care team to explain any value that is unclear
- Use results to guide action for example, low ferritin points to prioritizing iron-rich foods; low B12 calls for discussing supplementation with your clinical provider
- Do not search individual numbers on the internet — this almost always causes generates unnecessary anxiety without providing meaningful context.
What not to do when results come in:
- Do not panic over a single out-of-range result — one data point does not establish a trend
- Do not assume "normal" means optimal — normal ranges are population averages, not individual targets
- Do not skip follow-up labs because you things feel fine — deficiencies and metabolic changes often develop silently
- Do not compare your results to someone else's — your targets depend on individual health history, medications, and risk profile
💡A number outside the reference range is the beginning of a conversation — not a verdict. Your provider interprets results in the full context of the clinical picture.
Trends matter more than single numbers.
One lab result in isolation tells you less than watching the same value improve over 6–12 months. If your HbA1c drops from 6.8% to 6.1% over a year, that is a meaningful, health-protective change — even if both numbers look close together.
Normal ranges are guidelines, not pass/fail thresholds. By design, 5% (1 in 20) of healthy people will have a result that falls outside the 'normal' range — so a single out-of-range value does not automatically indicate a problem. Conversely a result within range may still warrant attention depending on your individual history and clinical context
When to Expect Lab Follow-Up
Labs will be ordered at least once per year. Beyond that, your care team will determine if more frequent monitoring is needed based on your health conditions, your rate of progress, and any symptoms you report.
Standard monitoring schedule:
- At baseline (before or at start): Full panel including HbA1c, lipids, liver, kidney, nutritional markers, CBC, TSH
- At 3 months: HbA1c, glucose, liver enzymes, nutritional markers if deficiency deficiencies were was identified at baseline
- At 6 months: Full panel repeat — lipids, HbA1c, kidney, liver, nutritional status
- Annually: Comprehensive repeat of all baseline markers plus any newly relevant tests
More frequent monitoring if:
- If diabetes, kidney disease, or liver disease are present
- Nutritional deficiencies were identified at baseline
- Weight loss is rapid (>2 lbs/week sustained, or >5% per month)
- Symptoms develop — fatigue, hair loss, dizziness, numbness — that may reflect a deficiency
- Your medication regimen changes
- Your care team identifies a value that needs closer monitoring
Contact Your Care Team If:
- You receive lab results and do not understand what they mean — your Onsera team will explain what each value means for you specifically
- You are experiencing symptoms — fatigue, hair loss, dizziness, numbness, mood changes — that may indicate a nutritional deficiency or other treatable cause
- A lab value is flagged as critically abnormal — your lab report will indicate this, and your care team will also follow up proactively
- You have questions about supplementation — which supplements are appropriate depends on your specific results, not general guidelines
Your labs tell a story.
Watch it unfold over months and years — not weeks. The most meaningful part of your lab picture results is the direction they are moving, and GLP-1 therapy typically moves most markers in a positive direction as weight changes and metabolic health improves.
💡Questions? Connect with your Onsera care team through the app.
This guide is for educational purposes only. It does not take the place of personalized medical advice from your health care provider. Always consult your Onsera care team before making any changes to your medication or treatment plan
