GLP-1 Drugs Like Ozempic, Wegovy May Help Treat Anxiety, Depression

on PinterestNew research suggests that GLP-1s could offer dual benefits for treating both metabolic and mental health issues.

on PinterestNew research suggests that GLP-1s could offer dual benefits for treating both metabolic and mental health issues. Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty Images

• A new study found that people taking GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy had a lower risk of worsening depression and anxiety.
• The participants also had fewer hospitalizations and required less sick leave from their jobs.
• Experts say the drugs’ effects on dopamine signaling and brain inflammation could account for the benefits.
• It’s too soon to recommend GLP-1s as a primary treatment for mental health disorders. Further clinical trials are still needed.

Researchers say people living with diabetes often face a higher risk of developing mental health conditions.

Now, a large national study from Sweden found that certain medications commonly prescribed for diabetes and weight loss — specifically GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic and Wegovy — may also help reduce the risk of worsening mental illness in people with anxiety or depression.

The findings, published in the April issue of The Lancet Psychiatry, offer hope for dual benefits in treating both metabolic and mental health issues. While promising, the researchers caution that further clinical trials are needed.

Effects of GLP-1 drugs on mental health disorders

The study analyzed health data from 95,490 people in Sweden who were diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or both, and were also prescribed diabetes medications between 2009 and 2022.

The researchers focused on a class of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists. These medications help control blood sugar and reduce appetite by mimicking the body’s natural GLP-1 hormone.

Four specific GLP-1 medications were examined: semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic, Rybelsus), liraglutide (Saxenda), exenatide (Byetta, Bydureon BCise), and dulaglutide (Trulicity).

The study compared periods when individuals were taking these medications to periods when they were not, using a “within-individual” design. This approach means each person acted as their own control, reducing the influence of factors like age, gender, or overall health that do not change over time.

Data were gathered from national electronic health registers, including hospital admissions, sick leave records, and death registries, allowing researchers to track worsening mental health events.

The primary outcome was a composite measure that included psychiatric hospitalizations, extended sick leave for psychiatric reasons, hospitalization due to self-harm, or death by suicide.

Secondary outcomes examined worsening of depression or anxiety separately, substance use disorders, and self-harm incidents.

The study also compared GLP-1 receptor agonists with other second-line diabetes medications like empagliflozin (Jardiance), dapagliflozin (Farxiga), and sitagliptin (Januvia) to see how these medications stacked up against each other in terms of mental health effects.

Statistical models adjusted for time-varying factors such as the order and duration of medication use and concurrent treatment with other psychiatric or antidiabetic drugs.

The aim was to isolate the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists on mental health as much as possible within the observational data.

Ozempic, Wegovy lower risk of worsening mental illness

Over an average follow-up of 5.2 years, about 23.5% of the cohort used GLP-1 receptor agonists, with semaglutide and liraglutide being the most common.

The study revealed that use of semaglutide was associated with a 42% lower risk of worsening mental illness

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