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A number of years in the past, a little-known drug named Ozempic—beforehand used solely to deal with diabetes—emerged as a promising new drug for weight administration.
The Meals and Drug Administration’s approval of Ozempic in 2021 for weight reduction therapy ushered in a brand new period for the category of medicine referred to as glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists, or GLP-1.
Immediately, GLP-1 medication, together with Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound, have change into family names and key instruments within the combat towards weight problems: 1 in 8 American adults say they’ve used a GLP-1 drug, and forecasts present that by 2030, 1 in 10 Individuals will possible be utilizing these drugs.
Now, analysis from my lab and others means that GLP-1 medication may assist deal with dozens of different illnesses as nicely, together with cognitive points and habit issues. Nonetheless, my colleagues and I additionally discovered beforehand unidentified dangers.
I’m a physician-scientist and I direct a medical epidemiology middle targeted on addressing public well being’s most pressing questions. My group works to handle crucial data gaps about COVID-19, lengthy COVID, influenza, vaccines, effectiveness and dangers of generally used medication, and extra.
On Jan. 20, 2025, my group printed a examine of greater than 2.4 million those who evaluated the dangers and advantages of GLP-1 medication throughout 175 attainable well being outcomes. We discovered that these medication lowered dangers of 42 well being outcomes, almost 1 / 4 of the overall that we analyzed. These embrace neurocognitive problems equivalent to Alzheimer’s illness and dementia, substance use and habit problems, clotting problems and several other different situations.
Sadly, we additionally discovered that GLP-1 medication include important unintended effects and enhance the danger of 19 well being situations we studied, equivalent to gastrointestinal points, kidney stones and acute pancreatitis, during which the pancreas turns into infected and dysfunctional.
Cognitive advantages
One of the crucial essential well being advantages we discovered was that the GLP-1 medication lowered the danger of neurodegenerative problems, together with Alzheimer’s illness and dementia. These findings align with different analysis, together with proof from preclinical research displaying that these medication might scale back irritation within the mind and improve the mind’s capacity to type and strengthen connections between its cells, enhancing how they convey with each other. These results contribute to mitigating cognitive decline.
Initially, GLP-1 medication had been developed to deal with diabetes.
Two different key research have proven that sufferers handled with a GLP-1 drug for diabetes had a decrease threat of dementia.
All of those research strongly level to a possible therapeutic use of GLP-1 medication in therapy of the cognitive decline. Ongoing randomized trials—the gold commonplace for evaluating new makes use of of medicine—are trying on the results of GLP-1 medication in early Alzheimer’s illness, with outcomes anticipated later in 2025.
Curbing habit and suicidal ideation
GLP-1 medication have additionally demonstrated potential in decreasing dangers of a number of substance use problems equivalent to these involving alcohol, tobacco, hashish, opioids and stimulants. This can be because of the capacity of those medication to modulate reward pathways, impulse management and inflammatory processes within the mind.
The effectiveness of GLP-1 medication in curbing addictive conduct might clarify their spectacular success in treating weight problems, a persistent illness state that many have steered is certainly a meals habit dysfunction.
Our examine demonstrated a lowered threat of suicidal ideas and self-harm amongst folks utilizing GLP-1 medication. This discovering is especially important given earlier stories of suicidal ideas and self-injury in folks utilizing GLP-1 medication. In response to these stories, the European Medicines Company carried out a evaluate of all out there information and concluded that there was no proof of elevated threat of suicidality in folks utilizing GLP-1 medication.
Now at the least two research, together with our personal, present that GLP-1 medication really scale back the danger of suicidality.
Different advantages
Along with the well-documented results of GLP-1 medication in decreasing dangers of opposed cardiovascular and kidney outcomes, our examine reveals a major impact in decreasing threat of blood clotting in addition to deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
Some docs are prescribing GLP-1 medication to assist with fertility points.
One puzzling discovering in our examine is the lowered threat of infectious ailments equivalent to pneumonia and sepsis. Our information enhances one other current examine that got here to an identical conclusion displaying that GLP-1 medication lowered threat of cardiovascular dying and dying on account of infectious causes, primarily COVID-19.
That is particularly essential since COVID-19 is thought to be a major cardiovascular threat issue. Whether or not GLP-1 medication fully offset the elevated threat of heart problems related to COVID-19 must be totally evaluated.
GLP-1 medication can also be helpful in treating fatty liver illness and situations starting from bronchial asthma to persistent obstructive pulmonary illness, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, melancholy and eye problems.
Dangers and challenges
Regardless of their broad therapeutic potential, GLP-1 medication will not be with out dangers.
Gastrointestinal points, equivalent to nausea, vomiting, constipation and gastroesophageal reflux illness are among the many commonest opposed results related to GLP-1 medication.
Our examine additionally recognized different dangers, together with low blood strain, sleep issues, complications, formation of kidney stones, and gall bladder illness and ailments related to the bile ducts. We additionally noticed elevated dangers of drug-induced irritation of the kidneys and pancreas—each severe situations that can lead to long-term well being issues. These findings underscore the significance of cautious monitoring in people who find themselves taking GLP-1 drugs.
A big problem with utilizing GLP-1 medication is the excessive charges at which sufferers cease utilizing them, typically pushed by their exorbitant price or the emergence of opposed results. Discontinuation can result in fast weight acquire.
That is an issue, as a result of weight problems is a persistent illness. GLP-1 medication present efficient therapy however don’t handle the underlying causes of weight problems and metabolic dysfunction. In consequence, GLP-1 medication have to be taken long run to maintain their effectiveness and stop rebound weight acquire.
As well as, many questions stay in regards to the long-term effectiveness and dangers of those medication in addition to whether or not there are variations between GLP-1 formulations. Addressing these questions is crucial to information medical apply.
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