GLP-1 Diabetes Drugs Linked to Increased Smell and Taste Disturbances, Study Finds

A large analysis of electronic health records from nearly 900,000 type‑2 diabetes patients between 2017 and 2026 found that long‑term use of GLP‑1 drugs was associated with a higher risk of sensory impairment. Over a two‑year follow‑up, patients on GLP‑1 drugs had an 81 % higher likelihood of developing smell disturbances and a 52 % higher likelihood of taste disturbances compared with patients using other diabetes medications. The absolute rates were low, affecting 0.37 % of GLP‑1 users versus 0.22 % of the control group. Study co‑authors from Hebrew University in Jerusalem called for closer monitoring and further research.

In a separate trial presented at the ASCO Breakthrough Meeting in Singapore, 150 adult cancer patients beginning morphine were randomly given oral dexamethasone six hours before treatment or standard care. The dexamethasone group reported significantly lower nausea scores and fewer vomiting episodes over the first three days, with reduced need for additional anti‑emetic drugs. By day 5, as patients adjusted to morphine, symptom differences between the groups disappeared.