A new study suggests drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy may help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, with semaglutide linked to significantly reduced risk of worsening mental health
Medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy could potentially help ease symptoms of anxiety and depression, according to new research.
Weight-loss injection Wegovy and type 2 diabetes treatment Ozempic both contain the same active ingredient, semaglutide – a drug classified as a GLP-1 receptor agonist.
An international team of scientists sought to determine whether taking these medications was associated with any impact on mental health conditions.
Drawing on data from health registries in Sweden, they analysed information on individuals diagnosed with anxiety or depression who were also receiving anti-diabetic medication between 2009 and 2022.
They reviewed data from more than 95,000 patients, including 22,480 people who used GLP-1s.
Writing in The Lancet Psychiatry, the researchers said GLP-1 receptor agonists semaglutide and liraglutide, marketed under the brand name Saxenda, were linked to a lower risk of deteriorating mental health compared to not using this class of drug.
Semaglutide was specifically associated with a 44% reduced risk of worsening depression and a 38% reduced risk of worsening anxiety.
It was also connected to a lower risk of substance abuse.
Liraglutide was similarly linked to a lower risk of worsening depression. “For anxiety and depression that co-occur with diabetes and obesity, semaglutide and, to a lesser extent, liraglutide might be useful dually effective therapeutic options,” the authors from University of Eastern Finland, Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm and Griffith University in Australia wrote.
Research director Markku Lahteenvuo, from the University of Eastern Finland, said: “Because this is a registry-based study, we cannot determine exactly why or how these medications affect mood symptoms, but 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 glycaemic control in diabetes, there may also be direct neurobiological mechanisms involved – for example, through changes in the functioning of the brain’s reward system.”
Meanwhile, a separate study has investigated unplanned pregnancies amongst individuals using GLP-1 receptor agonists during the early stages of pregnancy.
Danish researchers sought to determine whether using the medications for diabetes management or weight reduction was associated with the likelihood of pre-term birth – when a baby arrives early, before 37 weeks of pregnancy.
Pre-term birth can present dangers to a baby.
Scientists examined Danish health registries covering 480,231 women, representing a total of 756,636 pregnancies.
Of these, 529 had unintentionally taken GLP-1s liraglutide or semaglutide during early pregnancy. They discovered that exposure to GLP-1 receptor agonists was linked with heightened pre-term birth risk when prescribed for diabetes treatment, but not amongst those using the medication for weight management.
Researchers said this indicated that “the underlying diabetes rather than the medication may be the causal factor”.
