Encyclopedia
Explained: 51 encyclopedia entries
Tight, plain-English UK encyclopedia entries on the technical terms, regulators, mechanisms, NHS rollout, body composition measurement, and protocols that come up across PeptideClear. Each entry is one self-contained answer to one question. Cross-linked to category hubs and to the glossary.
HPLC purity (high-performance liquid chromatography)
What HPLC measures, what 99%+ purity does and does not prove, and why mass spectrometry is the sister test.
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Certificate of Analysis (CoA)
What a CoA proves, what it does not, and the difference between provided-with-order and on-request CoA provision.
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kDa (kilodalton) in collagen
Molecular weight unit. Why 2 to 3 kDa marine collagen absorbs better than 5 to 6 kDa bovine.
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NHS GLP-1 access (Mounjaro rollout)
Three-cohort phased rollout. BMI and comorbidity thresholds. ICB pace variation.
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ASA rules on weight-loss advertising
CAP code restrictions on POM advertising to the public. September 2025 enforcement notice. What can and cannot appear in marketing.
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MHRA medicines classification
POM, P, GSL. When a product is a medicine and when it sits outside the medicines tier.
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The Pickart hypothesis (GHK-Cu)
Loren Pickart's 1973 discovery. Why GHK-Cu became the most-studied cosmetic peptide.
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GLP-1 vs GIP receptor agonism
Two gut hormones. Why Mounjaro is dual GLP-1 plus GIP and Wegovy is GLP-1 only.
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What is peptide therapy?
A clinic marketing term, not a single defined treatment. The categories of peptide people mean and their UK regulatory status.
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Peptide therapy vs GLP-1 medications
Both are peptides by injection but sit in different regulatory categories. GLP-1 is MHRA-licensed; peptide-therapy peptides are research use only.
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Peptide therapy vs hormone therapy (TRT, HRT)
TRT and HRT are MHRA-licensed prescription treatments; the peptides marketed as peptide therapy are research use only. Different categories, not substitutes.
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Peptide therapy for weight loss
Usually means a licensed GLP-1 medicine, which is itself a peptide. The research peptides marketed for metabolism are research use only with no human trials.
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Peptide therapy for muscle growth
Ipamorelin, CJC-1295 and similar are sold research use only, have no human trials for muscle growth, and several are on the WADA prohibited list.
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Peptide therapy for skin
Usually means topical cosmetic peptides (copper peptides, Matrixyl) sold as general-sale skincare. A separate category from injectable research peptides.
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Peptide therapy for women
Not one treatment. Depending on the goal it means a GLP-1 medicine, cosmetic skin peptides, or collagen, each in a different regulatory category.
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"Research use only" framing
The UK regulatory wording under which research peptides are sold. What it does and does not authorise.
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Solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS)
The Merrifield 1963 method. Why peptide cost scales non-linearly with amino acid length.
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WADA prohibited list and peptides
Which research peptides are on the WADA list and why tested athletes must avoid them.
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Ethnicity-adjusted BMI thresholds
NICE-recommended 2.5 kg/m² adjustment for South Asian, Chinese, Black African and African-Caribbean populations.
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NICE TA1026 (tirzepatide)
The 2024 NICE guidance defining UK Mounjaro eligibility thresholds and cohorts.
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Oral tolerance and undenatured collagen
The immune mechanism behind UC-II Type II collagen for joint comfort. Different from nutritional absorption.
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Peptide half-life
Why half-life varies so widely across peptides and what stabilising modifications do.
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Peptide storage and handling
Lyophilised vs reconstituted stability. Cold chain. Why most peptides arrive freeze-dried.
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Specialist Weight Management Service (SWMS)
NHS tier-3 multi-disciplinary service; the commissioning route for NHS Mounjaro under TA1026.
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Tier 3 and Tier 4 NHS weight management
The four-tier NHS framework. GLP-1 at Tier 3; bariatric surgery at Tier 4.
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Compounded vs licensed GLP-1
Why compounded is not legal UK supply and what to verify before purchase.
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Cold chain for GLP-1 medications
Refrigerated 2 to 8°C from manufacturer to patient. Out-of-fridge windows per medication.
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MHRA Yellow Card scheme
UK system for reporting suspected adverse drug reactions. Black Triangle on GLP-1 packaging.
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Patient Information Leaflet (PIL)
The MHRA-approved leaflet in every UK medicine box. Authoritative on dosing and side effects.
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Bariatric surgery vs GLP-1 medications
Complementary NHS pathways, not competing options. Typical loss outcomes by route.
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Protein intake on GLP-1
Why protein matters during rapid GLP-1 weight loss. Standard dietitian targets.
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Sarcopenia and GLP-1
Age-related muscle loss compounded by rapid weight loss. Why post-50 users need preservation strategies.
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Muscle preservation on GLP-1
Three levers: protein, resistance training, sleep. The framework most clinics align to.
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GLP-1 starting dose
How UK titration works in editorial terms. The SmPC sets the schedule and your prescriber applies it; we do not reproduce dose ladders.
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Pen vs vial GLP-1 delivery
UK shift from vials to KwikPens. Current UK position for Mounjaro and Wegovy.
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Alcohol and GLP-1 medications
Reduced alcohol cravings and tolerance on GLP-1. The neuroscience and observational data.
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Sleep apnoea as a comorbidity
OSA counts toward NICE TA1026 eligibility. Diagnostic threshold and the SURMOUNT-OSA indication.
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Hypertension as a comorbidity
Most common weight-related comorbidity. UK thresholds and what changes on GLP-1.
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DXA body composition
Gold-standard fat, lean, bone measurement. Why scale weight understates GLP-1 benefits.
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Visceral adipose tissue (VAT)
Metabolically active intra-abdominal fat. The driver of cardiometabolic risk. VAT-preferential loss on GLP-1.
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VO2 max
The best mortality predictor after adjusting for other factors. How it changes on GLP-1.
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ApoB testing
Better cardiovascular risk biomarker than LDL. UK longevity clinics test it; NHS rarely does.
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Lp(a)
Genetically-determined cardiovascular risk you cannot lifestyle away. Measure once.
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Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM)
Wearable glucose sensor. Originally diabetes; now used in longevity and metabolic health monitoring.
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HbA1c
3-month average glucose. NHS diabetes diagnosis marker. GLP-1 typically reduces 1.5 to 2.5 percentage points.
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Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR)
Energy used at rest. Falls during weight loss. Why post-loss maintenance is harder than the loss phase.
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Sharps and needle disposal in the UK
How GLP-1 pen needles are disposed of safely: sharps bins, council collection, pharmacy returns, and what a good supplier ships.
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GLP-1 medications and hair loss
A reported, emerging adverse effect. Most cases look like telogen effluvium from rapid weight loss. What the 2024 to 2025 literature shows.
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GLP-1 weight-loss jabs: hype vs reality
What the jabs do and do not do: real trial results, what gets oversold, regain after stopping, cost, and stigma.
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How does semaglutide work?
Plain-English explainer of the once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist behind Wegovy and Ozempic: mechanism, trial results, and UK safety framing.
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How does tirzepatide (Mounjaro) work?
The dual GIP and GLP-1 agonist explained: why two hormones, what the SURMOUNT trials show, and the UK safety framing.
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