Research
Energy balance
Semaglutide increases the risk of biliary disease (cholelithiasis), which is a class effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists, likely due to rapid weight loss.
Be aware that semaglutide increases the risk of gallbladder problems like gallstones. This risk is associated with the rapid weight loss the drug causes. Report any severe abdominal pain, especially in the upper right side, to your doctor immediately.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
semaglutide... increases the risk of biliary disease (cholelithiasis)... whether effects are specific for semaglutide or a class effect... we discuss... gallbladder events
Why this rating
Based on phase 3 trials, though incidence is lower than GI effects.
Source
Safety of Semaglutide
Mark M. Smits et al. · Frontiers in Endocrinology · 2021
DOI 10.3389/fendo.2021.645563
narrative_review · n=21500Cited 267×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Semaglutide (both oral and subcutaneous formulations) is associated with a high incidence of mild-to-moderate, transient gastrointestinal adverse effects (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea), which are dose-dependent and time-dependent, occurring primarily during the initial 8-12 weeks of treatment.Strong
- Semaglutide does not significantly increase the risk of hypoglycemia in patients not using concomitant insulin or sulfonylureas, due to its glucose-dependent mechanism of action.Strong
- Semaglutide has a favorable cardiovascular safety profile, with cardiovascular outcome trials (SUSTAIN-6, PIONEER-6) showing no increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) compared to placebo.Strong
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