Medications originally developed to treat diabetes and obesity are showing a growing range of mental health benefits, according to a roundup of recent research reported by Healthline. The drugs, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, include semaglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus.
A large Swedish study found that using semaglutide was associated with a 42% lower risk of worsening mental illness compared to periods when participants were not taking a GLP-1 medication. The study followed participants over an average of 5.2 years, and about 23.5% of the cohort used GLP-1 receptor agonists during that time. Semaglutide and liraglutide were the most commonly used. When broken down by condition, semaglutide use was linked to significantly lower risks of worsening depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Researchers also noted fewer hospitalizations and less sick leave from jobs among those taking the medications.
Four specific GLP-1 medications were examined in the Swedish study: semaglutide, liraglutide, exenatide, and dulaglutide.
Lauren Grawert, MD, a clinical advisor at The Garden New Jersey who was not involved in the study, told Healthline that GLP-1 medications may provide psychiatric benefits because they can cross the blood-brain barrier and bind to brain regions associated with the reward system. Experts also point to the effects of GLP-1 medications on dopamine signaling and brain inflammation as possible explanations for the mental health benefits.
A separate systematic review and meta-analysis published in eClinical Medicine found that GLP-1 medications may help reduce key symptoms of binge eating disorder. Those symptoms include binge eating severity, loss of control eating, and emotional eating. The medications also appeared to increase cognitive or dietary restraint, which researchers described as a conscious effort to control food intake. The review drew on randomized controlled trials pulled from major medical databases.
Researchers have also found associations between GLP-1 use and reduced impulsivity and violent behaviors, as well as reductions in what some patients describe as "food noise," a term for intrusive, persistent thoughts about food.
Despite the breadth of findings, experts say it is too soon to recommend GLP-1 drugs as a primary treatment for mental health disorders. Further clinical trials are still needed before any such recommendation could be made.
