AI scans 400,000 Reddit posts and finds hidden Ozempic side effects
Key takeaways
- Popular weight loss and diabetes medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide have transformed treatment for obesity and blood sugar control.
- In a new study published in Nature Health, researchers analyzed more than 400,000 Reddit posts written by nearly 70,000 users over a span of more than five years.
- "The underreported symptoms are leads that came from patients themselves, unprompted, and clinicians could potentially pay attention to them."
Why this matters: new research or scientific developments with potential real-world impact.
Popular weight loss and diabetes medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide have transformed treatment for obesity and blood sugar control. Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania say artificial intelligence may also help uncover side effects that patients are discussing online but that are not always fully reflected in clinical trials or official drug documentation.
In a new study published in Nature Health, researchers analyzed more than 400,000 Reddit posts written by nearly 70,000 users over a span of more than five years. Their findings highlighted several commonly discussed symptoms, including some that may deserve closer scientific attention, such as menstrual irregularities and temperature-related complaints like chills and hot flashes.
"Some of the side effects we found, like nausea, are well known, and that shows that the method is picking up a real signal," says Sharath Chandra Guntuku, Research Associate Professor in Computer and Information Science (CIS) at Penn Engineering and the study's senior author. "The underreported symptoms are leads that came from patients themselves, unprompted, and clinicians could potentially pay attention to them."