Large-scale study reveals risks and benefits of GLP-1 medications

A comprehensive new study supports evidence of the myriad health benefits of GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro — and even some potential new advantages.

Analyzing the medical records of about 2.5 million patients within the VA system, researchers at the Department of Veterans Affairs found that GLP-1 weight loss drugs have an impact on 175 diseases and conditions.

The study appears to confirm, as previously suggested, that GLP-1 medications help treat and prevent Alzheimer’s disease by reducing inflammation and substance abuse by affecting dopamine levels in the brain.

But some of the results were unexpected, including how these drugs can help with things like blood clotting and infections.

The study was published in the journal Nature Medicine on Monday.

Their findings show that GLP-1 drugs are associated with a reduced risk of psychotic disorders, seizures and heart conditions such as heart attack and stroke – but that’s not all.

“We tend to think of drugs as surgically designed to do just one thing. But the reality is almost never like this,” said Ziyad Al-Aly, a co-author of the paper and chief research officer for the VA Health Care System St.

Al-Aly explained that many medications, including GLP-1, result in a “complicated web of different effects.”

Within this network, GLP-1 use was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular, kidney, and liver problems.

While Ozempic is currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat type 2 diabetes, obesity and heart risk, Novo Nordisk, the company that makes it, has said it will apply to update the drug’s label for use in patients with chronic kidney disease. .

The VA study also found that GLP-1 drugs can be effective in treating blood clots, breathing and infection, all of which were unexpected.

“The surprising ones are cool because it gives you a new path to follow,” David Cummings, professor of medicine in the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Nutrition at the University of Washington, told the Washington Post.

Additionally, this latest study appears to support previous research that found that GLP-1 drugs can improve mental health and reduce the risk of suicide. These findings contradict previous concerns about the potential for drugs like Ozempic to cause suicidal ideation and self-harm in children and adults.

Researchers are keen to explore the possibility, as suggested by the relationship between these drugs and improved mental health, that GLP-1 drugs reduce stress responses in humans.

However, not all effects have been found to be beneficial to the body.

Use of GLP-1 medications was associated with GI issues such as reflux, headaches, pancreatitis, and an increased risk of arthritis. The latter is particularly surprising to scientists since the drugs cause weight loss, which should ease arthritis symptoms.

Cummings noted that while more research is needed, alarm over potential risks is not warranted.

“Every drug has its pros and cons, and these are no exception. But in this case, the pluses far outweigh the negatives,” he said.

Experts also note that the VA population tends to be older, less diverse and predominantly male, so the study results may not truly reflect the US population at large. Further, patients with VA tend to have multiple health conditions and are being treated with multiple medications, factors that may bias the results.

Semaglutide – the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy – is part of a class of drugs that mimic the body’s natural GLP-1 hormone, making users feel fuller for longer.

GLP-1 drugs indirectly reduce inflammation through weight loss. The drugs can also activate certain T cells, white blood cells key to the immune system, which can have anti-inflammatory effects.

The use of GLP-1 medications has spread in recent years. A recent KFF Health Tracking Survey found that 12% of US adults had taken a drug similar to Ozempic at some point.

A recent report found that most people taking GLP-1 drugs do not stay on their prescribed treatment for at least 12 weeks. More than 30% of patients drop out after just four weeks because they suffer from early side effects like nausea or other digestive problems — or can’t afford to continue.