Infomastaro

By Thomas Westerholm

Life & Trends Reporter

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GLP-1 medications like semaglutide (Ozempic) have a number of surprisingly positive side effects, a massive new study involving nearly 100,000 participants found.

The study, conducted by an international group of researchers, found that GLP-1 medications like semaglutide can have positive benefits for mental health issues like depression and anxiety, in addition to previously known benefits for weight loss and diabetes management.

Additionally, the medications were linked to a lower risk of substance-use disorders, according to the researchers.

"An earlier study examining Swedish registers found the use of GLP-1 medications to be associated with a reduced risk of alcohol use disorder," Mark Taylor, a professor at Griffith University in Australia, said in a release.

"Alcohol-related problems often have downstream effects on mood and anxiety, so we expected the effect to be positive on these as well.”

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The Findings

According to the researchers, use of GLP-1 medications—but semaglutide in particular—led to fewer hospitalizations and sick leaves related to mental health conditions. The participants who used semaglutide were 42 percent less like to be hospitalized.

The researchers also found that the risk of depression was 44 percent lower. The likelihood of anxiety disorders, meanwhile, fell by 38 percent.

Hospitalizations and sick leave related to substance use fell by 47 percent, and semaglutide was linked to a lower risk of suicidal behavior.

'Quite strong'

The researchers couldn't say precisely why the mental health benefits occurred

Still, research director Docent Markku Lähteenvuo from the University of Eastern Finland said that the association "was quite strong."

"It is possible that, in addition to factors such as reduced alcohol consumption, weight loss-related improvements in body image, or relief associated with better glycemic control in diabetes, there may also be direct neurobiological mechanisms involved, for example, through changes in the functioning of the brain’s reward system,” Lähteenvuo said in the release.

More Ozempic Coverage

Ozempic has been shown to have a number of other surprising effects, as Newsweek has previously covered.

One benefit is better focus and concentration for people dealing with ADHD symptoms. The drugs help regulate the part of the brain that manages dopamine and reward, which are linked to impulsivity and self-control.

The substance use benefits might include more than just alcohol. One study found that rats who were administered semaglutide saw a significant decrease in cocaine-seeking behavior.

Finally, Ozempic has also been linked to hair loss, although some experts suggest it could be due to the rapid weight loss, rather than the drug itself.

Newsweek reached out to the researchers for comment via email.

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