Popular GLP-1 medications for weight loss and diabetes may have unexpected benefits for reducing risks for conditions such as substance abuse, psychosis, infections and even dementia. 

But these drugs also come with risks that shouldn’t be overlooked, researchers warn in a study published Jan. 20 in the journal Nature Medicine.

The study is among the first to take a comprehensive look at how these meds — Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound — affect overall health.

Researchers reviewed data from nearly 2 million people treated by the Veterans Health Administration, including more than 216,000 patients prescribed GLP-1 medications.

The study found that people taking GLP-1 medications had a 24% lower risk of developing liver failure and a 22% reduced risk of cardiac arrest compared to those on other diabetes treatments.

In all, researchers found that people taking GLP-1 medications had lower risks for 42 health outcomes, including liver failure, lung failure, cardiac arrest, aspiration pneumonia and shock. 

These medications have also been associated with a potential impact on obesity rates, which declined in the U.S. for the first time in more than a decade in 2023, CNN reported.

However, the drugs weren’t without drawbacks.

People taking GLP-1 medications had higher risks for 19 health outcomes, mostly involving digestive issues such as heartburn, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and gastroparesis (stomach paralysis).

They were also more likely to experience bone and joint issues like arthritis and tendinitis, compared to people on other diabetes medications.

The drugs were linked to some unexpected benefits in brain health, too. GLP-1 users had a 12% lower risk of dementia and a reduced likelihood of psychosis and schizophrenia.

“It’s hard to make a blanket recommendation, because the side effects are real,” study author Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, chief of research and development at the VA St. Louis Health Care System, told CNN. “I think people should have a conversation with their practitioners or their doctor or provider and do their own individualized risk benefit analysis.”

The study analyzed medical records from October 2017 to December 2023 to create what Al-Aly called an “atlas of association,” mapping out the drugs’ effects throughout the body.

Remarkably, it revealed significant reductions in risks for severe infections, including sepsis and pneumonia.

While the findings are observational and most participants in the study were older white men with diabetes, which could limit how broadly the results apply to other groups, experts not involved in the study said they provide a helpful big-picture view.

“It’s a very interesting study,” Dr. Scott Butsch, director of obesity medicine at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, told CNN.

“This paper extends our current knowledge of the effectiveness of this class of medications,” he added.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more resources on weight loss and managing diabetes.

SOURCE: Nature Medicine, Jan. 20, 2025; CNN

Source: HealthDay

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