Which adverse effect is associated with GLP-1 receptor agonists?

• A. Pancreatitis
• B. Hypoglycemia
• C. Hyperkalemia
• D. Hypertension

Answer: (A)

GLP-1 receptor agonists have a recognized, though uncommon, risk of pancreatitis. These drugs—used for type 2 diabetes and sometimes weight management—work by enhancing glucose-dependent insulin secretion, slowing gastric emptying, and suppressing glucagon, but in rare cases they can inflame the pancreas. This possibility is important enough to warrant vigilance: if a patient develops persistent severe abdominal pain that may radiate to the back, possibly with nausea or vomiting, the medication should be stopped and pancreatitis evaluated. The overall risk is low, but it’s a real safety signal that clinicians monitor for.

Hypoglycemia is not a typical direct adverse effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists alone, since their insulinotropic action is glucose-dependent. Hyperkalemia and hypertension are not characteristic adverse effects of these medications.