GLP-1 weight-loss drugs with semaglutide were associated with a lower risk of depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and self-harm, according to a new study.
Semaglutide, a common ingredient in GLP-1 weight-loss medications, is associated with lower risks of worsening mental disorders, according to a new study.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
The research, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, found that people following a GLP-1 treatment for diabetes and obesity had a lower need for hospital care and medical leave due to psychiatric reasons.
Scientists from the University of Eastern Finland, Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, and Griffith University in Australia found that people using semaglutide had a 42 percent lower risk of worsening mental illness, and an 18 percent lower risk for those using liraglutide.
For depression, the risk was 44 percent lower, and for anxiety disorders, 38 percent lower.
Semaglutide was also associated with a lower risk of substance use disorders. Hospital care and leaves related to substance use were 47 percent lower when people took the medication. Self-harm risk was also lower in those taking semaglutide.
Both semaglutide and liraglutide are the active principles of GLP-1 medications; they work by mimicking the effects of the GLP-1 hormone, which the body produces naturally and helps regulate appetite and blood sugar.
The study included more than 95,000 people with a mean age of 50.6 years with a diagnosis of depression or anxiety disorder who used any antidiabetic medication between 2009 and 2022.
The authors noted that the study does not provide evidence that weight loss directly causes improved mental health, and the relationship between the medications, weight loss, and mental health is likely to be complex.
While no direct causality can be drawn from an observational study, the researchers said these results provide a basis for future clinical trials.
Mental health and diabetes: a vicious circle
One in six people in Europe, about 140 million, live with a mental health condition, ranging from mild to severe in terms of its impact on everyday life, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The numbers are higher when looking at people living with diabetes and obesity. Depression is almost twice as common in adults with diabetes, according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF).
The relationship works both ways: having a mental health condition also increases the risk of developing diabetes.
Biological, behavioural, and social factors drive this two-way connection, creating a cycle that can be challenging to interrupt, the IDF noted.
The burden is especially high for people living with severe mental illness, among whom diabetes is estimated to be two to three times more common, shaped by the effects of certain medications, health inequalities, and lifestyle factors.
