- The Oxford University study looked at semaglutide, a drug better known by the brand names Ozempic or Wegovy, which is used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.
- The researchers wanted to find out whether semaglutide caused neurological or psychological problems in patients prescribed it to treat type 2 diabetes.
- Studies have found that the drug does not contribute to an increased risk of any of these problems.
- The scientists found that semaglutide did indeed provide some benefits in these areas: specifically, participants who used semaglutide had a lower risk of dementia and reduced nicotine dependence.
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 drug used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. Researchers have been investigating other benefits of semaglutide and have recently Mitigate the risks Risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
According to a recent study, Dr. Ricardo De GiorgiA clinical lecturer in adult psychiatry at the University of Oxford in the UK, he investigated whether semaglutide contributed to neurological or psychological problems.
The team found that among the thousands of patients who took semaglutide, none were at increased risk of developing problems such as depression or anxiety.
Additionally, these drugs have been linked to a reduced risk of dementia and reduced nicotine cravings.
This study
Obesity affects millions of people in the United States.
Obesity can lead to many health problems, including the development of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Doctors recommend lifestyle changes for people with obesity and type 2 diabetes and in some cases prescribe medications to help them lose weight.
One medication that has become increasingly popular in the U.S. is semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, both of which contain the same active ingredient but may be administered in different doses.
Doctors prescribe Ozempic to people with type 2 diabetes, while Wegovy is typically intended for people who are obese, or have a body mass index (BMI) of 27 or higher (meaning overweight) and have certain pre-existing medical conditions.
Several Common Side Effects Semaglutide contains:
- nausea
- diarrhea
- vomiting
- headache
- constipation.
Semaglutide is rarely used Serious Side Effects Pancreatitis, gallstones, gastroparesis (stomach paralysis), etc.
Researchers were interested in learning about other side effects and benefits of semaglutide, which led the Oxford team to examine the medical records of people taking the drug.
“Clinical evidence suggests that these agents have neurobiological activities, including preventing neurodegeneration and inflammation, and modulating dopamine-related reward mechanisms,” the researchers wrote in their study.
The scientists accessed more than 100 million patient records and found more than 20,000 people taking semaglutide. They compared these records with those of patients taking sitagliptin, empagliflozin and glipizide, drugs commonly prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes.
The researchers were interested in whether patients developed specific neurological or psychological problems within 12 months of being prescribed the drug, and compared 22 outcomes between semaglutide and three other drugs.
The outcomes they looked at included cognitive impairment, dementia, migraine headaches, insomnia, nicotine abuse, depression and anxiety.
After comparing semaglutide with those taking sitagliptin, empagliflozin, or glipizide, the researchers found that semaglutide was associated with a lower risk for most of the 22 outcomes they compared.
Other than a higher risk of migraine compared with glipizide, semaglutide did not demonstrate an increased risk of psychiatric or neurological outcomes.
The drug was found to be associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment compared with people taking sitagliptin or glipizide.
Other areas where researchers found semaglutide to be beneficial compared with sitagliptin included dementia, depression and ischemic stroke.
When looking at nicotine addiction, scientists found that semaglutide reduced nicotine cravings compared to glipizide and empagliflozin.
Additionally, the researchers found that semaglutide was associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality compared with the other three drugs.
However, the researchers noted that this association “should be interpreted with caution due to incomplete linkage between the TriNetX US Collaborative Network and death registries.”
In speculating why semaglutide might generally be more beneficial than other drugs, the researchers suggested that semaglutide’s “anti-inflammatory mechanism” could be a factor.
Furthermore, the researchers stated that semaglutide and other GLP-1 drugs “modulate dopamine pathways underlying reward sensitivity, which may be at least partially responsible for their weight loss effects and putative activity on addictive behaviors.”
Deborah B. Horn, DO, MPHA weight loss physician at UTHealth Houston, Today’s Medical News About the study: Horn was not involved in the study.
“Both diabetes and obesity trials with semaglutide and other GLP-1s have shown improvement in other diseases, and the common denominator appears to be reduced inflammation,” Horn noted.
She noted that the mechanisms behind these improvements are unclear but could be explored.
“There are GLP-1 receptors in the brain’s reward center, which may suggest a pathway to reduce addictive behaviors like smoking and drinking,” Horn explained. “Anti-inflammatory pathways may also be affected, leading to neurocognitive/addiction improvements.”
However, she said the potential of semaglutide and other GLP-1 drugs was promising, although further research was needed.
“The next step is to develop clinical trials to test these ideas,” Horn commented. “If this proves true, it could broaden GLP-1 therapeutics beyond reducing diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease risk.”
Clifford Seguill, D.O.is a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. MNT About the study: Segil was not involved in the study.
“Semaglutide and Tirzepatide “These drugs make people eat less and feel less hungry,” he explained. “Studies are underway to see whether these drugs also reduce people’s intake of alcohol, tobacco, caffeine and other addictive substances.”
Segil noted that high blood sugar “is not directly associated with cognitive decline or memory loss.”
“There’s nothing to suggest that normal blood glucose levels have a neuroprotective effect as non-diabetic patients develop dementia,” he noted.
But high blood sugar can cause heart attacks and strokes and lead to “vascular dementia and multi-infarct dementia,” he explained.
“Research has shown that calorie restriction may be associated with longevity. We hope to see further research into whether calorie restriction with these drugs can extend people’s lifespan in the long term.”
– Dr. Clifford Segill
