GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are as popular as ever. A Sept. 2024 poll found that roughly 12 percent of U.S. adults have used GLP-1 medications in their lifetime. Semaglutide injections, like Ozempic and Wegovy, are approved to treat type 2 diabetes. However, many individuals without diabetes also use them off-label for weight loss. And while highly recognized and uplifted by the healthcare industry, a new study is highlighting the potential repercussions of GLP-1 medication use, particularly as it pertains to cognitive and behavioral health.
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Researchers find 61 "unrecognized benefits and risks" linked to Ozempic, Wegovy, and other weight-loss drugs.
A new observational study published in the journal Nature Medicine found that popular GLP-1 medications, such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepound, can boost brain health and reduce inflammation, in addition to serving as a weight-loss aid. Conversely, their findings also suggest that these “miracle drugs” can raise your risk of developing kidney stones, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and 17 other health conditions.
In other words, weight-loss shots can be both a blessing and a curse, depending on your age, health, and family medical history.
“We tend to think of drugs as surgically designed to do only one thing. But the reality is almost never like this,” Ziyad Al-Aly, lead author and chief of research for the VA St. Louis Health Care System, told reporters, per The Washington Post.
The truth is, according to Al-Aly, many prescriptions have an “intricate web of various effects.”
RELATED: Doctor Says Ozempic Raises Certain Health Risks by Up to 900%.
Weight-loss drugs were associated with positive neurological, behavioral, and cardiac health.
Per the study, weight-loss drugs can lower the risk for 42 health conditions, while also raising someone’s risk of developing 19 others.
To arrive at their findings, researchers compared 2.4 million medical records from patients who were treated for diabetes by the Veterans Health Administration. This “comprehensive atlas” spanned from Oct. 2017 to Dec. 2023 and included a control group of 1.2 million veterans who didn’t take GLP-1 medications. From there, they “systematically evaluated” positive and negative health outcomes.
Pragmatic results ranged from neurological and behavioral to cardiac. The weight-loss drugs, which were medically prescribed to treat diabetes, were linked to a reduction in mental health issues, heart disease, and declining cognitive health, as well as the health conditions listed below:
- Obesity
- Seizures
- Addiction
- Suicide
- Self-harm
- Eating disorders
- Schizophrenia
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Cardiac arrest
- Liver failure
- Long failure
- Blood clots
- Infections
- Respiratory issues (such as aspiration pneumonia)
- Alzheimer’s
- Dementia
- Urinary tract infections
“Interestingly, GLP-1RA drugs act on receptors that are expressed in brain areas involved in impulse control, reward and addiction—potentially explaining their effectiveness in curbing appetite and addiction disorders,” explained Al-Aly in a press release. “These drugs also reduce inflammation in the brain and result in weight loss; both these factors may improve brain health and explain the reduced risk of conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.”
RELATED: Patients Reveal Another "Nightmare" Ozempic Side Effect.
On the flip side, they can disrupt the gastrointestinal system.
While gastrointestinal issues are one of the most common side effects of GLP-1 medications, patients became vulnerable to severe stomach disorders and other unusual conditions, including joint pain, as listed below:
- Gastrointestinal issues (specifically, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea)
- Gastro reflux
- Headaches
- Pancreatitis
- Arthritis
- Tendinitis
- Stomach paralysis
- Kidney stones
- GERD
- Kidney failure
- Sleep failure
- Non-infectious gastroenteritis
Conditions relating to the gastrointestinal system weren’t surprising as they’ve been “well documented in the research and anecdotally,” explained Al-Aly.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said the study’s results “forces us to see that looking at a medicine in a comprehensive fashion could be very valuable and help advance the way we do medicine overall.”
RELATED: Gynecologist Cautions Women About This "Overlooked" Ozempic Side Effect.
The takeaway:
While Al-Aly’s study exposed some of the lesser-known positive and negative implications linked to weight-loss drugs, it was very limited in scope, and more research is needed. As one example, every patient had diabetes and no one was using the medication to help with weight loss specifically. The study also focused on adults over the age of 65, nearly all of whom were men. This doesn’t accurately reflect the diverse population of Ozempic and Wegovy users.
However, this shouldn’t discredit their findings. “GLP-1RA drugs can have broad health benefits,” Al-Aly said. “However, they are not without risks. Our findings underscore the possibility for wider applications for these medications but also highlight important risks that should be carefully monitored in people taking these drugs.”
