Health
Why microdosing Ozempic could become as common as taking a multivitamin
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They may have gained popularity for diabetes and weight loss, but GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy have been linked to ever-expanding health benefits.
In fact, some doctors — including Dr. Terry Dubrow, a plastic surgeon and TV personality based in Newport Beach, California — recommend that everyone takes a low daily dose, even if they don’t need to lose weight.
Dubrow spoke on camera with Fox News Digital about the benefits of “microdosing” these medications. (See the video at the top of this article.)
How GLP-1s work
GLP-1 receptor agonists work by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1, which is released from the gut after eating.
The drugs help to regulate blood sugar, slow down emptying of the stomach and diminish appetite, and have also been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Dr. Terry Dubrow, a plastic surgeon and TV personality based in Newport Beach, California, recommends that everyone takes a low daily dose of a GLP-1, even if they don’t need to lose weight. (Terry Dubrow)
“Sugar’s the enemy, and these drugs affect sugar in your blood,” Dubrow told Fox News Digital. “They affect the way insulin reacts.”
GLP-1s help insulin move the glucose (sugar) out of the bloodstream and into the body’s cells, where it can be used for energy or stored, the doctor said. The drugs also help to prevent the inflammation and damage sugar can cause in the blood vessels, nerves and organs.
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“I don’t think anyone would argue that if there was a way to manipulate the amount of sugar and inflammation your body’s exposed to, that is something we want to lean into. And that’s exactly what these drugs do,” Dubrow added.
In addition to regulating blood sugar and triggering weight loss, GLP-1s have also been approved to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events and kidney disease in certain patients.
“I have never seen a drug in the history of medicine be on such a rapid path to approval.”
“Even if you’re not overweight, being on these GLP-1 drugs … helps to minimize and prevent a repeat recurrent heart attack,” Dubrow said.
Semaglutide was also recently approved for MASH (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis), an inflammatory form of fatty liver disease.
Dubrow spoke on camera with Fox News Digital about the benefits of GLP-1 medications. (Fox News Digital)
GLP-1s are also being studied for potential cognitive benefits in Parkinson’s patients.
“I have never seen a drug in the history of medicine be on such a rapid path to approval,” Dubrow said.
The case for microdosing
Along with other experts, Dubrow is an advocate for microdosing, which is where people take low, steady doses of GLP-1s every day, even if they don’t need them for diabetes or obesity.
While patients with diabetes take doses that increase every four weeks, microdosing entails using a low-level dose that doesn’t go up.
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A younger population on TikTok has zeroed in on microdosing, Dubrow pointed out — and he thinks everyone should be doing it.
“I am obsessed with the concept of microdosing,” he said. “I think maybe half the starting dose for diabetes is the way to go — and you probably don’t need it every seven days, it’s probably every 10 days, just to sort of modulate the amount of sugar in the blood.”
“Even if you’re not overweight, being on these GLP-1 drugs … helps to minimize and prevent a repeat recurrent heart attack,” Dubrow said. (iStock)
The doctor noted that there are still a lot of unknowns with GLP-1 medications.
“We are just figuring out now how to use these drugs for different indications, for different reasons,” he said. “We’re learning as we’re using it.”
“I am obsessed with the concept of microdosing.”
As with other drugs, like Botox, Dubrow said there is a bit of “human experimentation” at play.
“We’re figuring it out, and we’re teaching the medical profession how to do it. The patients are telling us how to use these drugs.”
Potential risks
GLP-1 medications have been linked to several potential risks. The most prevalent is gastrointestinal issues, such as nausea and vomiting.
Others have reported an increased risk of pancreatitis, muscle loss and thyroid tumors.
“I read every study that comes out on these drugs, and I can tell you, it’s very clear they don’t cause pancreatitas,” Dubrow said.
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“In fact, if you really look at the populations who have been using it, pancreatitis is less in those populations.”
Dubrow confirmed, however, that the drug has been linked to an increased risk of the very rare medullary cancer of the thyroid.
Those who experience severe side effects from GLP-1s should talk to a doctor, Dubrow advised. (iStock)
“If you have a family history of that, that’s a contraindication to you using these drugs,” he said.
Regarding the digestive side effects, the doctor said the medications do slow down the GI tract, but it’s been shown that the body adjusts to that over time.
“These particular drugs are natural hormones that occur in our small intestine, and you get used to the side effects. They go away.”
The severity of side effects is linked to the dose amount, Dubrow noted.
“The low dose, particularly the microdose, really has a low propensity toward the constipation, the nausea, the potential diarrhea, the GERD (reflux),” he said. “I think those side effects are less significant for people who microdose.”
To counteract the risk of muscle loss, Dubrow recommends increasing protein intake and incorporating resistance training as a core component of an exercise routine.
Those who do experience severe side effects should talk to a doctor, he advised.
Off-label use of GLP-1s, such as for microdosing, is common, Dubrow said — “but finding a doctor willing to prescribe can be difficult.” (iStock)
Drugmakers weigh in
When contacted by Fox News Digital, manufacturers of GLP-1 medications warned against microdosing the products.
“Lilly does not have any data on the benefits or risks of microdosing of Zepbound and Mounjaro,” said a spokesperson for Eli Lilly, maker of the GLP-1 drugs Mounjaro and Zepbounda. “Both autoinjectors and Zepbound vials are approved for single-use only — dose-splitting or ‘microdosing’ is not contemplated by the FDA label. As such, off-label use of Zepbound and Mounjaro may pose patient safety risks.”
“Off-label use of Zepbound and Mounjaro may pose patient safety risks.”
Novo Nordisk, maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, said it does not condone “misuse” of its products.
“It’s important to understand that for Wegovy, only the marked doses on the single-use, fixed-dose pens (0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 1.7 and 2.4 mg) are approved for use and represent an authentic FDA-approved medicine,” a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “The starting dose of Wegovy® is 0.25 mg once a week, and the dose will gradually increase every four weeks. Patients should work with their healthcare professional to select either 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg for the maintenance dose.”
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“It is also important to note that the authentic Wegovy injectable pen is designed as a single-use pen, the dose is already set, and should not be altered or tampered with, and the pen must be disposed after one use.”
“Ozempic is a multi-use pen with one pen and multiple needles,” the spokesperson added.
Accessing GLP-1s
Dubrow said he’s not concerned about supply issues amid the growing popularity of GLP-1s, as major drug companies have the resources to “scale up” to meet the demand.
Off-label use of GLP-1s, such as for microdosing, is common, Dubrow said — “but finding a doctor willing to prescribe can be difficult.”
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The doctor cautioned against buying these drugs from online marketplaces, which he referred to as the “wild wild west.”
“It’s hard to find these drugs online from compounding pharmacies, because essentially they’re going rogue — it’s illegal. They’re not allow to do it,” he warned.
“These drugs are natural hormones that occur in our small intestine, and you get used to the side effects.”
“So if you’re getting it from rogue pharmacies that aren’t allowed to do it or are willing to bend the rules, what is it? You don’t know what you’re getting.”
“It may be an adulterated, weird version that has side effects or that’s not effective.”
Looking ahead
There are several next-generation drugs in development that combine multiple hormone pathways, Dubrow said.
“I predict within five years, we’ll have a pill … designed to manipulate hunger and insulin resistance,” he predicted.
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Overall, Dubrow said, GLP-1s are “here to stay.”
“They’re just going to get better, and we’re going to learn how to use them in a more appropriate and clinically effective way,” he said. “So fasten your seatbelt. If you’re not on them now, you will be later.”
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Adults who consider themselves “night owls” tend to score lower in cardiovascular health assessments and face a higher risk of heart attack or stroke.
That’s according to a new study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, which examined how a person’s chronotype — their natural tendency to be active in the morning or evening — is linked to overall heart health.
The researchers looked at 14 years of UK Biobank data for around 300,000 adults averaging 57 years old, according to a press release for the study.
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Around 8% of the participants described themselves as “definitely evening people,” which means they stayed up very late. Another 24% said they were “definitely morning people,” as they tended to wake up earlier and go to bed earlier.
The largest “intermediate” group, which included 67% of participants, said they were unsure or in neither group.
Adults who consider themselves “night owls” tend to score lower in cardiovascular health assessments and face a higher risk of heart attack or stroke. (iStock)
Each person’s heart health was determined using the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 score.
“Life’s Essential 8 is a comprehensive assessment that includes activity levels, diet, blood pressure, cholesterol, use of nicotine, sleep patterns, weight management and blood sugar,” shared Dr. Bradley Serwer, an interventional cardiologist and chief medical officer at VitalSolution, an Ingenovis Health company.
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The researchers also looked at incidence of heart attack or stroke over the follow-up period.
They determined that people who were more active in the evening (“night owls”) had a 79% higher risk of poor cardiovascular health compared to the intermediate group, and a 16% higher risk of heart attack or stroke, the release stated.
The researchers looked at 14 years of UK Biobank data for around 300,000 adults averaging 57 years old. (iStock)
People who identified as being more active in the morning had slightly better heart health scores. The link was more pronounced in women than men.
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“‘Evening people’ often experience circadian misalignment, meaning their internal body clock may not match the natural day-to-night light cycle or their typical daily schedules,” said lead study author Sina Kianersi, Ph.D., a research fellow in the division of sleep and circadian disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, both in Boston, in the release.
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“Evening people may be more likely to have behaviors that can affect cardiovascular health, such as poorer diet quality, smoking, and inadequate or irregular sleep.”
Each person’s heart health was determined using the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 score. (American Heart Association)
Serwer, who was not involved in the study, noted that lifestyle habits played a significant role in these findings.
“Cardiovascular disease has multiple contributing causes,” the Maryland-based cardiologist told Fox News Digital. “Sleep is just one variable — and the importance of high-quality, restorative sleep should not be undervalued.”
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The findings could help doctors tailor lifestyle and medical interventions to help prevent cardiovascular events, the researchers noted.
The findings could help doctors tailor lifestyle and medical interventions to help prevent cardiovascular events, the researchers noted. (iStock)
The study did have some limitations, chiefly that it does not prove that staying up late causes heart problems, but only establishes an association.
Also, the study relied on people reporting their own schedules, habits and health, which could be skewed.
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Finally, the people included in the UK Biobank are primarily White and tend to have better health than the general population, the researchers noted, which means the results may not be widely generalized.
Serwer added, “While quality sleep is important, further studies are required to show exactly what sort of impact sleep alone has on cardiovascular health.”
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One woman’s uncomfortable reaction to alcohol led to a grave discovery.
Hollie Thursby, 28, a mother of two from the U.K., told Kennedy News and Media that after giving birth to her second son, Jack, she began experiencing unusual symptoms.
At a checkup for her son, who was a couple of months old, Thursby mentioned that she was experiencing “unbearably itchy skin,” which is known to be a post-partum symptom. The doctor suggested it was due to changing hormones.
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Thursby added that she occasionally drank a couple glasses of wine. Although she kept the drinking to a minimum, she described having “a lot of pain” down the side of her neck.
“Really quite painful and uncomfortable,” she said, according to the report.
A U.K. mom reported experiencing pain in her neck after drinking a glass or two of wine, which turned out to be one of the first signs that she had cancer. (Kennedy News and Media)
The mother also reported feeling extremely exhausted, which she assumed was due to caring for her children throughout the day.
“I also felt like when I got to bed that someone was sitting on my chest,” she shared.
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In July 2025, Thursby discovered a lump on the side of her neck that she described as “really quite big,” but wasn’t painful, Kennedy News and Media reported.
“It was hard, it didn’t move, but it was there,” she said. “When I turned my neck to the side, you could see it.”
Thursby reportedly began chemotherapy for Stage 2 Hodgkins lymphoma. (Kennedy News and Media)
Thursby’s symptoms turned out to be a form of blood cancer — Stage 2 Hodgkins lymphoma, which means it is in two or more lymph nodes, according to Cancer Research U.K.
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Common symptoms include swelling of the lymph nodes, heavy sweating, weight loss, itching, persistent cough or shortness of breath, high temperatures, and pain in the stomach or lymph nodes after drinking alcohol.
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“Pain when you drink alcohol is actually a known side effect of Hodgkin lymphoma,” she said, per the report. “It’s something about the acidity in the wine and not when you drink other alcohol.”
While alcohol-related pain in Hodgkins lymphoma patients has been “an accepted scientific consensus” since the 1950s, cases are rare, Healthline confirmed.
Hollie Thursby, 28, and her two sons are pictured above. The mother reported feeling extremely exhausted, which she assumed was due to caring for her children throughout the day. (Kennedy News and Media)
Thursby reportedly began chemotherapy in November, noting that the hardest part is not being able to care for her kids after losing her own mother to a blood disorder called myelodysplasia.
“I grew up without a mum, and it was horrendous. I can’t do that to the boys,” she told Kennedy News and Media. “We’re all devastated, but we all know now, and we’ve got a treatment plan, which is what we need.”
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“I’m just doing everything I can to get better for them. I keep telling myself this is only temporary, I just need to keep going.”
Anyone experiencing pain or other concerning symptoms after consuming alcohol should consult a doctor for guidance.
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Red light therapy has been shown to reduce brain inflammation, protecting people who experience head trauma from long-term health consequences, a University of Utah study has shown.
Brain damage from repeated impact over the years is known to cause cognitive symptoms, ranging from memory issues to full-blown dementia, particularly affecting soldiers and athletes.
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive, degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head impacts rather than a single injury, according to Mayo Clinic.
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More than 100 former NFL football players have been posthumously diagnosed with CTE, according to the new study, which was published in the Journal of Neurotrauma.
Other research has shown that military personnel in active combat suffer from similar issues, as do first responders and veterans.
The treatment was administered three times a week for 20 minutes using specialized headsets and intranasal devices designed to penetrate the skull. (iStock)
In the new study, the researchers recruited 26 current football players to understand more about the impact of red-light therapy on brain injuries.
The participants received either red light therapy delivered by a light-emitting headset and a device that clips into the nose, or a placebo treatment with an identical device that doesn’t produce light. Players self-administered the therapy three times a week, 20 minutes each time, for 16 weeks.
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“My first reaction was, ‘There’s no way this can be real,’” said first author Hannah Lindsey, Ph.D., in the university press release. “That’s how striking it was.”
Specific wavelengths of light are believed to enter the brain and reduce molecules that trigger inflammation, potentially halting the path toward dementia and other cognitive conditions. (iStock)
Players using the placebo treatment experienced increased brain inflammation over the course of the season. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans taken at the end of the season showed significantly more signs of inflammation than at the beginning of the season, the study found.
For players who used red-light therapy during the season, their brain inflammation didn’t increase at all.
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Previous studies have shown that red light, if powerful enough, can penetrate the skull and reach the brain, where it may reduce inflammation-related molecules.
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“When we first started this project, I was extremely skeptical,” said Elisabeth Wilde, Ph.D., the senior author on the study. “But we’ve seen consistent results across multiple of our studies, so it’s starting to be quite compelling.”
Study limitations
The study was conducted using a small sample size, which led to different levels of inflammation in the treatment and control groups, the researchers acknowledged.
While the placebo group showed increased brain inflammation during the football season, those receiving red light therapy showed no increase in inflammatory markers. (iStock)
Future large randomized clinical trials will be “crucial to back up the results” in larger populations, they noted.
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“We’ve been trying to figure out how to make sports safer, so that our kids, friends and family can participate in sports safely for the long term while they’re involved in activities that give them happiness and joy,” Carrie Esopenko, Ph.D., second author of the study, said in the release.
“And this really feels like part of the hope for protecting the brain that we’ve been searching for.”
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The team plans to recruit 300 people with persistent symptoms from TBI or concussion for a randomized controlled trial in 2026, with a focus on first responders, veterans and active-duty service members.
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