GLP-1 Drugs Show Mental Health and CV Benefits

A new study involving nearly 100,000 Swedish adults with type 2 diabetes has found that GLP-1 receptor agonist medications, such as semaglutide found in Ozempic and Wegovy, are associated with significant improvements in mental health outcomes, including reduced risks of worsening depression, anxiety, substance use disorders and self-harm. The research, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, tracked participants from 2009 to 2022 and compared periods when they used the drugs to times when they did not, revealing a 42 percent lower risk of psychiatric hospital care or medical leave during semaglutide use compared to non-use periods.

The findings build on growing evidence that these popular treatments, which mimic the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 to regulate blood sugar and appetite, offer benefits beyond diabetes management and weight loss. Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland, Karolinska Institutet and Griffith University noted that semaglutide showed the strongest links, with depression risks 44 percent lower and anxiety risks 38 percent lower during treatment. Liraglutide, another GLP-1 drug, was associated with an 18 percent overall reduction in worsening...