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GLPs aren’t just a weight loss tool. They may be one of the most important longevity medications we have.
“She never had a moral problem at the refrigerator. She had an undiagnosed metabolic problem her doctor missed.” — Kimberly Cunningham, Board-certified Nurse Practitioner
GLPs have gotten a lot of press—some of it good, some of it scary, and a lot of it confusing. In this episode, Kimberly Cunningham cuts through the noise and explains what these medications actually are, how they work, and why the bad reputation is largely the result of poor prescribing practices rather than the medications themselves.
GLPs are peptides—substances the human body naturally produces to manage blood sugar. GLP-1 is what’s in Ozempic (semaglutide). Tirzepatide combines GLP-1 with GIP, a second peptide made in the upper small intestine. Kimberly calls tirzepatide the more elegant solution: better tolerated, fewer side effects, and more effective. The problems people associate with GLPs—constipation, nausea, gallbladder issues—are almost always the result of ramping up doses too fast for dramatic before-and-after results, rather than giving the medication time to work at lower doses.
But the conversation goes far beyond weight loss. Kimberly explains that prediabetes—which she defines as a hemoglobin A1C at or above 5.5—is where brain changes begin. The brain makes up 3–5% of body mass but consumes 20% or more of all calories. Sugar dysregulation hits the brain three to five times harder than anywhere else in the body. In her view, prediabetes is pre-Alzheimer’s. Tirzepatide is showing geroprotective properties—meaning it may help people live longer when used appropriately.
One of the most powerful moments in the episode is Kimberly’s discussion of PCOS. Research out of Sweden suggests that roughly 80% of women with PCOS have a deficiency in GLP and GIP production—they never made these peptides. This reframes PCOS as a metabolic disorder, not a gynecological one. Women who have fought their weight their entire lives may not have had a willpower problem; they had an undiagnosed peptide deficiency. Kimberly has seen acne clear, hair improve, and even pregnancies occur in PCOS patients once tirzepatide corrected the underlying metabolic issue.
The episode also covers BPC-157 for gut and tendon health, sermorelin with glycine for low growth factor, and why Kimberly starts with testosterone and foundational hormones before reaching for additional peptides.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- What GLPs and peptides are—and why tirzepatide (GLP-1 + GIP) is Kimberly’s preferred option over semaglutide (Ozempic)
- Why the negative side effects associated with GLPs are almost always dose-dependent and the result of poor prescribing
- How prediabetes (A1C at or above 5.5) connects directly to Alzheimer’s risk—and why Kimberly treats it immediately rather than watching and waiting
- Why PCOS may be a metabolic disorder caused by GLP/GIP deficiency, not a gynecological condition
- How tirzepatide is showing geroprotective (longevity) properties beyond weight loss
- What BPC-157 does for gut health and tendon repair, and which other peptides Kimberly reaches for in her clinic
- How to access tirzepatide through Cunningham Clinic starting at $150/month, including telehealth for members outside Denver
🎧 Listen to Episode 56 now:
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