Ozepic and similar Weight Loss Drugs May Lower Risk of 42 Health Conditions, But Also Risks

Several Years Aug, the Little-Known Drug Named Ozepic-Previously Used Only to Treat Diabetes-Emerged as Promising New Drug for Weight Management.

The Food and Drug Administration’s Approval of Ozepic in 2021 for Weight Loss Treatment Ushered in a new era for the class of drugs called Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Agonistsor LPG-1.

Today, GLP-1 Drugs, Including Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound, Have Becoma Household Names and Key Tools in the Fight Against Obesity: 1 in 8 American adults Say They have used a GLP-1 Drug, and Forecasts Show that by 2030, 1 in 10 Americans will like be Using these medications.

Now, Research from My Lab and Others Suggesss That GLP-1 Drugs Could Help Treat Dozens of Other Ailments As Will, Including Cognitive Issues and Addiction Problems. However, My Colleagues and I Also Found Previously Unidentified Risks.

I Am A Physician-scientist and I Direct The Clinical Epidemiology Center Focused on Addressing Public Health’s Most Urgent questions. My Team Works to Address Critical Knowledge Gaps About Covid-19, Long Covid, Influenza, Vaccines, Effectiveness and Risks of Commonly Used Drugs, and More.

On Jan. 20, 2025, My Team Published a Study of More Than 2.4 Million People That Evaluated The Risks and Benefits of GLP-1 Drugs Across 175 Possible Health Outcomes. We found that these drugs Lowered risks of 42 health outcomes, nearly a quarter of the total that we analyzed. These include neurocognitive disorders Such as Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia, Substance Use and Addiction Disorders, Clotting Disorders and Severral other conditions.

UNFORTUNAIDADY, We Also Found That GLP-1 Drugs Come With Significant Side Effects and Increase the Risk of 19 Health Conditions We Studied, Such Gastrointestinal Issues, Kidney Stones and ACUTE PANCREATISin Which the Pancreas Becomes Inflameded and Dysfunctional.

Cognitive benefits

One of the Most Important Health Benefits We Found Was That the GLP-1 Drugs Lowered the Risk of Neurodegenerative Disorders, Including Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia. These Findings Align with other Research, Including Evidence from Preculinical Studies Showing That Drugs May Reduce Inflammation in the Brain’s Brain’s Ability to Form and Strengthen Connections Between Its Cells, Improving How The Communicate with the Another. These Effects Contribute to mitigating cognitive decline.

Two Other Key Studies have shown that treated patients with a GLP-1 Drug for diabetes Had a Lower Risk of Dementia.

All of These Studies Strongly Point to a Potential Therapeutic Use of GLP-1 Drugs in Treatment of the Cognitive Decline. Ongoing Randomized Trials-The Gold Standard for Evaluating New Uses of Drugs-ARE Looking at the Effects of GLP-1 Drugs in Early Alzheimer’s Disease, with Results Expected Later in 2025.

Curbing Addiction and Suicidal Ideation

GLP-1 Drugs Have Also Demoned Potential in Reducing Risks of Several Substance Use Disorders Such As Those Involving alcohol, tobaccocannabis, opioids and stimulants. This may be due to the ability of thee drugs to modulate reward Pathways, impose control and infmmatory processes in the brain.

The Effectiveness of GLP-1 Drugs in Curbing Addictive Behavior May Explain Their Spectacular Success in Treating Obesity, the Chronic Disease State That Many Have Suggested IS INDEED A FOOD ADDICTION DISORDER.

Our Study Demonstrated A Reduced Risk of Suicidal Thoughts and Self-Harm Among People Using GLP-1 Drugs. This finding is particularly significant given EARLIER REPORTS OF SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND SELF-INJURY In People Using LPG-1 Drugs. In Response To Those Reports, The European Medicines Agency Driven a review of All Available Data and Concluded That There Was No Evidence of Increaded Risk of Suicidality In People Using LPG-1 Drugs.

Now at Least Two Studies, Including Our Own, Show that GLP-1 Drugs currently Reduce the Risk of Suicidality.

Other benefits

In addition to the Well-Docuced Effects of GLP-1 Drugs in Reducing Risks of cardiovascular adverse and Kidney OutcomesOur Study Shows A Significant Effect in Reducing Risk of Blood Clotting As Well as Deep Vein Thrombosis and Pulmonary Embolism.

One Puzzling Finding in Our Study is the Reduced Risk of Infectious Diseases Such Pneumonia and Sepsis. Our data complements another recent recent that came to a similar conclusion showing that girl drugs reduced risk of Cardiovascular Death and Death Due to Infectious CausesPrimary Covid-19.

This is specially important sincere covid-19 is regarded as a Significant Cardiovascular Risk Factor. WHETHER GLP-1 Drugs Completely Offset The Increated Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Associated with Covid-19 Needs to Be Throughly Evaluated.

GLP-1 Drugs May Also Be Useful In Treating Fatty Liver Disease and Conditions Ranging from Asthma to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary DiseaseSleep Apnea, osteoarthritisdepression and eye disorders.

Risks and Challenges

Ranger Their Broad Therapeutic Potential, GLP-1 Drugs Are Not Without Risks.

Gastrointestinal issues, such as nausea, vomiting, constipation and gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Are Among the Most Common Adversse Effects Associated with GLP-1 Drugs.

Our Study Also Identified Other Risks, Including Low Blood Pressure, Sleep Problems, Headaches, Formation of Kidney Stones, and Gall Bladder Disease and Diseases Associated with the bile ducts. We also Saw Increeded Risks of Drug-Anduced Inflammation of the Kidneys and Pancreas-Both Serious Conditions That Can Result In Long-Term Health Problems. These Findings Underscore The Importance of Careful Monitoring In People Who are Taking LPG-1 Medications.

A Significant Challenge with Using GLP-1 Drugs is The High Rates at Which Patients Stop Using ThemOFTEN DRIVEN BY THEIR EXORBITANT COST OR THE EMERGENCE OF ADVERSE Effects. Discontinuation can lead to rapid weight gain.

That’s a problem, BECAUSE Obesity is a Chronic Disease. GLP-1 Drugs Provide Effective Treatment But from Not Address The Underlying Causes of Obesity and Metabolic Dysfunction. AS A Result, LPG-1 Drugs Need to Be Taken Long Term to Sustain Their Effectiveness and Prevent Rebound Weight Gain.

In addition, many questions remain about the long-term effectiveness and risks of these drugs as well as when they are differentiated Between GLP-1 formulations. Addressing these questions is critical to Guide Clinical Practice.

This article is republished from The Conversation Under Creative Commons License. Read the Original Article.