GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide, known as Ozempic and Wegovy, have been linked to lower rates of worsening depression and anxiety. The corresponding study was published in The Lancet Psychiatry.
People with diabetes are more likely than the general population to have depression and anxiety. While some studies suggest that the drugs may have neuropsychiatric benefits for cognition, other research suggests that they are linked to an increased risk of anxiety and depression.
In the current study, researchers sought to better understand the mental health effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists. To do so, they examined the risk of worsening mental illness in people already diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or both who had been prescribed antidiabetic drugs like GLP-1 receptor agonists.
They included over 95,000 individuals from Swedish electronic health registers with an average age of 50 years old in their analysis. All individuals had been diagnosed with depression or anxiety and used an antidiabetic medication between 2009 and 2022. Use of GLP-1 receptor agonists was compared with non-use and use of other second-line antidiabetic drugs. Altogether, around 22,500 individuals used GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Ultimately, use of GLP-1 drugs liraglutide and especially semaglutide was linked to a lower risk of worsening mental illness compared to non-use. Periods of semaglutide use were linked to 42% fewer psychiatric-related hospital visits. Use of the drug was also linked to a 44% lower risk of depression, a 38% lower risk of anxiety disorders, and a 47% lower rate of hospital care and time of work related to substance use. GLP-1 receptor agonists as a group were linked to a lower risk of self-harm.
"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 glycemic control in diabetes, there may also be direct neurobiological mechanisms involved -- for example, through changes in the functioning of the brain's reward system," said study author, Markku Lähteenvuo Research Director at the University of Eastern Finland, in a press release.
Sources: Science Daily, The Lancet Psychiatry
