What Is PMID? Definition for Peptide Research

How PMIDs Work

The PubMed Database

PubMed is the primary database for biomedical literature, maintained by the National Library of Medicine (NLM). It indexes:

Over 35 million citations
Peer-reviewed journals
Clinical trial results
Review articles
Case reports

PMID Format

Unique 8-digit number (may be fewer for older articles)
Example: PMID: 33567185
Assigned sequentially upon indexing
Never reused or changed

Relevance to Peptides

Finding Peptide Research

PMIDs enable quick access to:

Clinical trial publications (STEP, SURPASS, etc.)
Safety and efficacy data
Mechanism of action studies
Review articles synthesizing evidence

Example PMIDs for Key Peptide Studies

Study	PMID	Finding
STEP 1 (semaglutide)	33567185	14.9% weight loss
SURMOUNT-1 (tirzepatide)	35658024	22.5% weight loss
SELECT (CV outcomes)	37952131	CV risk reduction

Using PMIDs

To Find an Article

Go to pubmed.gov
Enter PMID in search box
Access abstract and full text links

In Citations PMIDs provide standardized references:

More reliable than URLs (which can break)
Universally recognized
Links to related articles

PubMed vs Other Identifiers

Identifier	Database	Example
PMID	PubMed	33567185
DOI	CrossRef	10.1056/NEJMoa2032183
PMCID	PubMed Central	PMC7839530
NCT	ClinicalTrials.gov	NCT03548935

Key Differences

PMID: Citation/abstract in PubMed
PMCID: Free full text in PubMed Central
DOI: Publisher’s version of article
NCT: Clinical trial registration

Finding PMIDs for Peptide Research

Search Strategies

semaglutide[Title] AND weight[Title]
tirzepatide[Title] AND diabetes[Title]
GLP-1 agonist[MeSH] AND cardiovascular

Filtering Results

Clinical Trial filter
Randomized Controlled Trial filter
Review filter
Date ranges

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a PMID properly?

Include the PMID at the end of standard citation format. Example: “Wilding JPH, et al. N Engl J Med. 2021;384(11):989-1002. PMID: 33567185.” This allows readers to quickly verify and access the source.

Is every published study in PubMed?

No. PubMed primarily indexes biomedical journals meeting certain criteria. Some research appears in non-indexed journals, conference proceedings, or preprint servers. However, major peptide trials are typically in indexed journals and receive PMIDs.

PMID